Eight weeks really did go by so fast. I’ll cherish these memories forever- making new friends, attending events, and trying new foods. I’ll miss working at Mary’s Center. Doing intake calls with their older adult clients to see if they like the food delivery service that Mary’s Center provides them while asking them questions regarding their physical capacity and mental health to see if they need any other services. I’ll miss helping out at Mary Center events as well as seeing their other clients. Working at Mary’s Center has taught me that community and outreach are vital to communications and advocacy work.
Without communicating with the population you are trying to serve to see what they actually need, one could just be assuming what they need and that’s not great. That means that you didn’t take the time to actually listen to them. That is something that I’ll carry with me into my future career as a social worker.
I’m so glad I was able to do this Fellowship. It has given me so many opportunities such as seeing how a healthcare center like Mary’s Center operates. It has also helped me to push myself. When I first learned about it, I thought I wouldn’t be able to do anything about it until I graduated from college. However, this Fellowship made me push myself so I was able to raise awareness about it during my final presentation. I was also able to ask Sierra Kelly, Mary’s Center’s social media specialist, if I could make a post talking about Mary’s Center’s services and connecting it back to the maternal death rate. She allowed me to do that but wanted me to focus on breastfeeding within the black community since August is National Breastfeeding Month and August 25th-31st is Black breastfeeding week. I was able to create not just one story post for their Instagram, but four posts talking about the racial disparities within breastfeeding, why there are disparities, why breastfeeding is important (it’s linked to better health outcomes for mom and baby), and a post about how Mary’s Center can help with that.
Without this Fellowship, I wouldn’t have been able to see that I can make a difference right where I am now. I’ll forever be grateful for this experience and cherish it for years to come.