Summer in the City

It is getting hot here! We have had a couple of days in the hundreds already and I am starting to be reminded of what it was like in The Gambia. I feel I still have some of my stamina for the heat which I built up in West Africa but I must admit that the pace of life here does not slow down for the climate!

Life is good. Zac and I try to get out on our bicycles as much as possible and we have found some great bike routes along the West side of Manhattan and over in New Jersey. We have been up to the cottage at Henderson Harbour a couple of times where we can escape from the city chaos and get stuck into the wild life! Camping trips to New Jersey and building stuff for the apartment are also keeping us busy!

Stand Up For Kids - Manhattan

I have just been made Director of Training and Volunteer Services at a non-profit organisation called Stand Up for Kids. www.standupforkids.org The organisation works with the homeless youth of New York City. It is a very exciting opportunity for me as we are setting up the program from nothing. It is run by volunteers so at present we are meeting once a week to get things up and running. I will be responsible for finding the people who are going to go out on to the streets, find the kids, find out what they need and help them. We will need outreach workers, medical practitioners, counsellors, drug and alcohol addiction consultants, cooks, security guards.... the list is endless. I think our end goal is to set up a shelter for young people - somewhere for them to stay and be cared for whilst we sort out a permanent solution. I will also be heavily involved in the training of the volunteers. It is a big task, but I am excited.

I will keep you posted on the organisation's developments. We are at the very early stages.

New York City's Homeless Population

Since March I have been working as an Outreach Coordinator at Grand Central Neighbourhood Drop-in Centre for homeless adults. (www.gcncommunity.org) One part of my work is to walk the streets of Mid-town Manhattan, talking to homeless people, listening to their stories and trying to offer them the services they need. Our drop-in centre works with homeless people to get them back into their own permanent housing. That is the main goal. We offer clients a number of services including three meals a day, showers and clothing, a safe place to sleep, help with medical and mental health issues and programs for drug and alcohol addiction. In addition to my work on the streets I do a lot of in-house outreach back at the centre. I run training workshops which equip clients with life skills to help them get back on their feet. I run courses on time management skills, current events, healthy living, resume writing, job search skills, interview techniques and letter writing. I also spend a lot of time listening to the clients about their problems, playing cards or chess and generally trying to keep everyone calm and organized. I really enjoy the work, it is extremely challenging at times but always very rewarding.

The homeless population of New York City amazes me. When I first started work I was a little bit apprehensive to approach people on the streets for fear that they may be aggressive. Nine times out of ten the people who I speak to are friendly, helpful and have very interesting stories to tell. I meet many veterans who have been physically or mentally traumatised at war and have not got their life back together. They seemed to be forgotten and left to rot on the streets. They serve their country, risk their lives and then are left to pick up the pieces. They have been failed.

I also meet a lot of people with severe mental health issues who do not have the skills to live by themselves. I have been told that New York City closed most of its mental health hospitals a few years back, and this is the result. One woman I speak to everyday needs drastic help. She sleeps in the same spot every night, barely moves all day, her legs are swollen and infected, and she defecates and urinates in her clothes. She is living off the few coins that people drop into her cup and she has no ability to care for herself. I offer her help and talk to her about the services we could offer her but she refuses assistance every time. She seems scared.

Other people who I meet seem to have it together. Many homeless people do not want anything to do with the shelters and drop-in centres. Many have had bad experience where they have gone somewhere to be helped only to find the shelter riddled with drugs and violence. Homeless couples know they will be separated when they join a shelter so they stay away as well.

I have a difficult job trying to convince people that they should come to our drop-in centre. That first step is a hard one. The situation seems impossible but it is not all doom and gloom. Many of the clients who I work within our centre do make it back into their own apartments and full time employment. The process can be slow and frustrating but worth it. I work with some wonderful people who inspire me everyday. One thing I think about a lot is that so many of us are only one small step away from being in a similar position. It does not take much to end up on the streets. You loose a job, can't make your rent payments, break up with your spouse and things can quickly spiral down hill. We are lucky if we have friends and family who stop us from falling too far but many of the clients who I work with feel too proud to ask for help. They feel that it is their problem and they have to solve it.

I see the wealthy workers of New York struggle with the fact that there are homeless people littering their streets. They feel guilty and do not know how to help. What most end up doing is giving money to those who are begging on the streets. In my opinion this keeps those people on the streets. When people are cold and hungry they come in to the shelters to get help. If they have a constant income from begging then they can always make it through another day. I believe the best way to help is to make a donation or volunteer at one of the centres or soup kitchens. One of the churches I visit regularly on my round offers breakfast for homeless people once a week. The breakfast is served by lawyers from the neighbouring law firm. They come into work early once a week, and wearing their expensive suits serve a delicious and nutritious breakfast to the homeless people of Manhattan. Not only are they providing food, they are also learning about the homeless population and their problems. This type of situation is bringing two very different groups of people closer together for greater understanding.

New York City

I moved to Inwood (which is a neighbourhood in the northern part of Manhattan) at the beginning of March. The past couple of months have been extremely hectic, getting settled in, having my immigration interview and looking for work. So here is an update:

In early March Zac started his new job working for About.com where he writes software and does very complicated things which I have no understanding of. He is working for the Metrics China division of the company so he is starting to learn Mandarin which is very exciting. He works with some great people and he seems to be enjoying the challenge of the work.

On March 6th we went to Buffalo for our immigration interview which went well and I am now a permanent resident of the United States (i.e I have a green card). It was a great feeling to finally receive the green card and it means I can now start looking for work and become part of the system here.

We have a lovely one bedroom apartment in Inwood which is a friendly neighbourhood with lots going on. Our place is on the 4th floor and furnished mainly by hand-me-downs from Zac's sister, Kimber and her husband, James. We had a great time moving everything in (and up four flights of stairs) and it is so nice to have our own place at last. Most of our neighbours are from the Dominican Republic which brings a real vibrancy to the area. I am thinking about learning Spanish to help me get to know people around here. Inwood has some great restaurants, a few bars, some shops and a fantastic park on the banks of the Hudson River.

I love living in New York City! I was concerned that I would not, as I am really a country girl. I miss the mountains, the streams, the fresh air but there is something quite amazing about living in a city like this. There is so much energy here, such diversity and sometimes sheer chaos! It reminds me so much of living in Africa. So many people from all kinds of backgrounds, religions, languages - all living on top of one another. It is the type of place that surprises you every day. I have seen some funny sights! It is crazy! It is also an efficient place where stuff gets done. Lots of opportunities and loads to do. I do not think I could spend my whole life here but for now it feels good!

So now I have a green card it means I can have a bank account, a social security number and a job!!! I have been looking for work for the past month and it seems to be a slow process. I have been looking into teaching over here but it turns out that my teaching qualification from the UK is not valid here! I have to become New York State Certified which might mean doing a Master's degree in education. The situation is crazy as schools are crying out for teachers here - just a lot of bureaucracy! I am looking into other options at the moment. Really, I want to work for a non-profit organisation and learn some more skills which will help me get into International Development. So, the job search continues.........

I am still here, just having computer issues!!

Hello,

I will be updating my blog soon. My lap top has died and I am desperately trying to rescue all of my photographs from it. As soon as it is fixed I will update my blog with what I have been up to for the last couple of months.

Sarah XXXXXXX

Snow, snow and more snow!

The first few days of 2008 were spent snow shoeing on the Chautauqua County trail. It was excellent! Zac and I were the only ones around and we made the first tracks in the very deep snow.

Happy New Year - 2008

For New Year's Eve we spent the evening at a big party at the Kidder's house where we played a 2007 quiz, drank lots of Champagne, watched the ball in Times Square drop at midnight and sang all five verses of Auld Lang Syne! It was an extra special occasion because Zac's good friends Jon and Liz had just had their first baby, a little boy called Grey, who we met for the first time that night. It was a great party and a good start to what I think is going to be a fantastic year!