Off the Streets® — Cincinnati Union Bethel

Maria Radzwion, Summer 2017

This summer has been one of the most enriching experiences of my life. I have been so blessed to have the opportunity to interact with some of the strongest and most resilient women I have ever met. My summer consisted of two major projects. First, I led a biweekly group about self-esteem. This group was composed of 6 sessions with the following topics: decorating a mask of the clients’ true self and the mask that they show to the world, writing letters of self-forgiveness for perceived flaws and shortcomings, creating a collage of the clients’ true self, exploring internal sources of self-worth, and discussing coping strategies. Second, I assisted the OTS staff and clients with daily activities. I helped with the intake and exit process, dispensing medicine, driving clients to appointments, organizing donations, updating OTS documents, and providing support to the clients.

Through my service at OTS, I was fortunate to become close enough to the clients that they entrusted me with their incredibly personal stories. These women have become my good friends. I have laughed and cried with them, I have rejoiced with them over the good and grieved the bad. I have celebrated days of sobriety and felt the disappointment of relapse. What I want the most for the world to understand is that this population of women are just people, the same as you and me. They have the same hopes, dreams, fears, and feelings that we all do. I truly believe that it is just by chance that I am here in medical school and they have the misfortune of struggling with homelessness, addiction, human trafficking, and abuse. Many of them have had the cards stacked against them from birth. It is remarkable to me that they have the courage to take the enormous step of leaving behind everything they have known and changing their lives so dramatically. It takes a strong belief in yourself and in the unknown. It is the hardest thing they have ever done, and many of them are doing it without any outside support. They deserve to be applauded and encouraged, not looked down upon as society so often does. Some of the stories that they have told me about the way law enforcement and medical professionals have treated them are heartbreaking. Every human should be treated with dignity. It is ignorant to assume that you would never find yourself in a situation such as theirs, or that you would never make the decisions they have made. These women suffer from the disease of addiction, which is a disease that does not discriminate among human beings. It causes the same symptoms in all people. My dream is to be able to educate the rest of my medical school class, and all medical professionals, that they are not above women who come from the streets. We are all equals, and if you take the chance to get to know them, you will find that they have amazing talents and aspirations to offer the world. Their lives are valuable and worth the effort.