Fourth Day of Community Service

On the fourth day of community service we went to the People’s Emergency Center (PEC) and to an affiliated organization with PEC called Children’s Safe Harbor (CSH).  These are PHENOMENAL organizations.  The PEC website is:  http://www.pec-cares.org/

And the Children’s Safe Harbor (CSH) is:  http://childrenssafeharborinc.org/

The PEC helps homeless people get back on their feet.  They feed and train people so that they can eventually fend for themselves and maybe even be homeowners, someday.  The children’s safe harbor specializes in helping formally abused children.  Both are phenomenal organizations.  I just cannot stop saying that.

Our task was to evaluate the efficiency of a program in the CSH.  The program was a computer class.  We interviewed both members of the staff that implemented the program and participants of the program (which were all women).  We asked questions like:  What do you like about the program?  What do you think could be worked on?  What do you think needs to be added to make this program work even better for you?  Why?  Etc.  But for me… the most important question was the last question.  Has this program helped you be more involved in your child’s schooling?  Any change before and now during your participation in the program?  I was surprised to hear how being computer literate had helped the women feel more “sure of themselves” and with enough confidence to check their children’s homework.  Through the program they had learned some English and had learned how to navigate the internet and Microsoft ( and other software) that gave them the skills to give their input in their children’s school work.

I was very move by this experience.  I just can’t believe how efficiently run these organizations were.  And how noble were the goals that they set out to do.  It’s very moving…