Hi everyone! I’m Juliana and I have been working alongside with Jennifer and Zoey at the Community Empowerment Fund. As Jennifer explained earlier, CEF works with individuals seeking financial independence.
Every day working with CEF is different. During our independent project time, we have the choice to pursue multiple projects for the organization tailored to our own interests. A lot of my time this week has been focused on compiling a database of free or low cost substance abuse resources in Durham, and I am just beginning research on the available specialized healthcare resources.
After independent project time our team heads out to difference locations to host office hours where we serve as advocates to help members craft resumes, apply for jobs and housing, create budget and savings plans, and any other economically oriented task they bring to us. Every day presents new excitement and challenges at CEF, and each meeting with a member serves as a learning experience for me.
Each Wednesday, both the Durham and Chapel Hill divisions of CEF set aside an hour to come together for philosophy time, a time to question and reflect on our service. Today, the conversation was driven towards the question of whether or not to utilize time focusing on a member’s immediate needs rather than investing in skill building and long-term solutions. This portion of the conversation really resonated with me, as the theme of this week is economic impacts of change. It made me question, is our work going to leave a lasting economic change, or is it just hastily applying a Band-Aid to a much bigger wound?
While I don’t have an answer to that question just yet, I do know that my time serving in Durham already has made an enduring change on my own perspective. As I continue to form relationships with members and learn more about their lives, I am beginning to better understand the harsh cycle of poverty. I know that I will carry these lessons with me throughout this summer and beyond my DukeEngage experience.
Every day working with CEF is different. During our independent project time, we have the choice to pursue multiple projects for the organization tailored to our own interests. A lot of my time this week has been focused on compiling a database of free or low cost substance abuse resources in Durham, and I am just beginning research on the available specialized healthcare resources.
After independent project time our team heads out to difference locations to host office hours where we serve as advocates to help members craft resumes, apply for jobs and housing, create budget and savings plans, and any other economically oriented task they bring to us. Every day presents new excitement and challenges at CEF, and each meeting with a member serves as a learning experience for me.
Each Wednesday, both the Durham and Chapel Hill divisions of CEF set aside an hour to come together for philosophy time, a time to question and reflect on our service. Today, the conversation was driven towards the question of whether or not to utilize time focusing on a member’s immediate needs rather than investing in skill building and long-term solutions. This portion of the conversation really resonated with me, as the theme of this week is economic impacts of change. It made me question, is our work going to leave a lasting economic change, or is it just hastily applying a Band-Aid to a much bigger wound?
While I don’t have an answer to that question just yet, I do know that my time serving in Durham already has made an enduring change on my own perspective. As I continue to form relationships with members and learn more about their lives, I am beginning to better understand the harsh cycle of poverty. I know that I will carry these lessons with me throughout this summer and beyond my DukeEngage experience.