Ed. Note: This week’s entry was written by Clarissa, a Media/Communications intern who has spent her spring semester at St. Anthony Foundation.

I’ve been interning at St. Anthony’s since January and, unbelievable as it is, my time as an intern will be coming to an end in just two weeks. I have gained so much through this semester and my time at St. Anthony’s: transferable career skills, relationships with staff, volunteers and guests and an understanding of poverty.

I don’t want to get too sentimental just yet since I still have two weeks left and I’ve never been good at goodbyes, but I remember walking to the corner of Golden Gate and Jones for my internship interview and knowing that I wasn’t in Kansas anymore. I remember I was nervous and apprehensive, after all I’d heard all these stories about the terrifying Tenderloin, and I here I was walking to my interview with directions written on my hand in case I got lost.

Now the walk to Golden Gate and Jones is one of the most enjoyable parts of my day. I’m offered a dozen good mornings, a chat with safety services and a hug from Indian Joe. I’ve gained a lot during my time as an intern, but I think I’ve lost even more: assumptions and stereotypes, pride and ignorance, and above all fear. I want to take the lessons from my internship here and carry them with me wherever I go: back home, back to college and into my future as unknown and vague as it is.

Ed. Note: This week’s entry is written by Ryan Hall, a current intern at St. Anthony Foundation.

Sometimes the most profound experience of the Divine occurs in the most unexpected place. Since I began my internship at St. Anthony’s last fall, my usual mode of transit is through the Civic Center BART and for nearly seven months one man has been capturing my fascination, Melvin the violin man. If you’ve been through there, you know exactly who I am talking about. His appearance is much like those of many homeless individuals who have few resources to take care of themselves, tattered and dirty clothes, missing teeth, and carrying everything he owns. Yet, he is by no means ordinary. Melvin is in the BART station nearly every time I go through there and he is always playing a violin, always smiling and occasionally dancing. There is one caveat however; his music is not typical by any means. To the trained and untrained ear, Melvin’s music often sounds like fingernails on a chalk board. When I first saw him I thought he was just trying to be funny to make a buck, as all the strings on his violin were clearly broken. Whether it’s drugs, mental illness or inspiration, I do not know, but as the months went by I realized that Melvin really believed he was playing something beautiful. He even has sheet music that he appears to have written, and occasionally stops playing in order to edit it for just the right notes. His concertos are truly unique!

When I see him however, many questions come to mind. We live in a society that often places primary value on a person through their wealth, fame, professional skill or advanced knowledge, yet Melvin doesn’t quite fit into any of these categories. His music will never get him a record contract and most likely he will never be famous and make millions (though he is fairly popular on YouTube).

If this is how society frequently judges people, I often wonder, where does Melvin fit, not to mention all those we serve at St. Anthony’s? As a Christian, I believe every human being is loved by God and therefore has inherent human dignity and value that can never be taken away. Each time I see Melvin, I am reminded of this. Melvin challenges our culture to look beyond our superficial values and see the person for who they really are. They have nothing else to offer, but themselves. Melvin tries to offer his skill, knowing that is what his culture wants if his life is to have value, but his skill is frequently not appreciated. Nevertheless, when I walk by I am able to recognize his true value, which is so much greater than anything our society could place on him. Sometimes, I imagine that he really is playing a beautiful piece of music, certainly God can hear it. I thank God for Melvin each time I see him because without him, I may not recognize humanity’s true value and the divine presence in each one of us.

Ed. Note: This week’s entry is written by Jennifer, a Bonner Leader from Saint Mary’s College who is spending her second semester with St. Anthony’s as a member of the Guest Services team:

Since I first walked down the ramp in the Dining Room on one sunny day in early September, I have had many experiences that have changed my outlook on life. I come from a very small town and had never worked with homeless people prior to entering St. Anthony’s. I could write at length about each experience and how it has affected me, but I will do you, as the reader, a favor and keep this blog a reasonable brief.

A diverse group of people walk down the Dining Room ramp every day, and they all have one thing in common: poverty. Each individual is in a different situation and level of poverty, yet these contrasting traits hold no overbearing significance once he or she walks through the doors of the Dining Room. Each person is unique and helps to form the community of St. Anthony’s. Each person is treated with respect.

I recently had the opportunity to spend the day delivering meals to the homebound folks in the neighborhood. I was stunned by the terrible conditions the SROs (most common housing arrangement in the TL) are in. Now that I have seen where many of our guests live and have taken into account that, for some of them, this is the only meal of the day, I have come to admire and respect them even more than before. It is amazing to see these individuals come down to the Dining Room with such positive attitudes.

I often find myself complaining about silly things, like how much homework I have or how I ate too much at dinner. Never once had I formerly stopped to think about those in the Tenderloin and the rest of the world that are not as fortunate. When I see the smiles on their faces, it is a reminder for me to appreciate all the commodities I have in my life. These individuals are my inspiration.

Ed. Note: This week’s entry was written by Florence, who has been working with us since September 2009. Florence is a student at Berkeley and spends much of her time and talents finding ways to support St. Anthony programs and clients. Below is just a sampling of her experiences thus far:

@ the Social Work Center:

Registering clients for food stamps can get depressing, especially when they really need the extra help but are not qualified because they earn “too much.” Here’s a dilemma I came across recently: a client gets a monthly benefit of $925 in SSI but has to pay a $900 monthly rent. She is left with $25 for all her other expenses. She doesn’t have enough to cover even her basic needs but is ineligible for food stamps because she is on SSI.

@ the Clothing Program:

During the past holiday season, I had the privilege of organizing clothing drives at the University of San Francisco and the Shinnyo-en Buddhist Head Temple in Redwood City. A USF student and I scattered donation bins all around campus and the temple in November as we also educated others about the acute plight of the homeless during the winter months. Between USF and Shinnyo-en, we collected more than 30 large bags of clothes and shoes in just a few weeks! To learn about how to organize your own Clothing Drive for St. Anthony foundation, click here!

@ the Intern Room:

“Go home, Florence,” or some rendition of that, chimes every Friday at 5pm. “Five more minutes” is my practiced reply, but there is no doubt I’d rather stay the whole night. There are simply too many temptations in this room. Shelves of books, books, heavenly books! Topics range from poverty to spirituality to business, making sure interns do not, and can not, cry from boredom. Even the intern desk is stacked to the nines with books like San Francisco Tenderloin, Street Sheet, Voices From the Heart, and Social Welfare at a Crossroads, two of which I checked out to read without time constraint…(and yes! interns can check books out, too!). But books are not all the intern room has to offer. There are also binders full of studies and research on homelessness, policies, mental health and the like!

What more can I say, I love this place!

Ed. Note: This week’s entry was written by Ryan, a JEVA intern and student with the Franciscan School of Theology:

Last week on Ash Wednesday began the season of Lent. It is generally thought of in terms of penance and fasting leading eventually to the Easter time of celebration. This season is a good reminder that as with many things in life and faith, the way to joy and celebration can lead through the path of pain or suffering. Christ certainly dealt with that, but I also see that in the men that go through the Fr. Alfred Center, a year-long drug and alcohol rehab center at St. Anthony’s.

Twice a week, I am blessed to listen to the stories of those making their way through the Father Alfred Center program who struggle daily with the disease of addiction. These men come to share their stories with not just me, but usually a group of twenty or more from high schools, colleges, and other career organizations. They often reveal their inner most pain and weaknesses as they share their immense struggles battling with their disease. Prison, homelessness, poverty, violence, knife and gun wounds, broken relationships, loss of dignity, shame and regret have been their unwelcome companions on their journey. For many it has taken years to recognize their addictive illness as the source of their misfortunes and often times even more years to admit that they cannot get well on their own. When that time comes however, their season of Lent begins especially once they begin at the Father Alfred Center. Certainly there is suffering as they fight their illness, but what I hear more often is that the healing process provides for them a time to examine how their illness has influenced their past decisions, and how it has affected those around them and themselves. They begin to accept the past, recognize where they failed to love others or themselves, ask forgiveness and learn to forgive themselves. Eventually, they begin to dream about the exciting future possibilities for their life. Their journey through pain and suffering is nothing to celebrate, and yet it contains the seeds of joy and brings them to their Easter!

I think we can learn a lot from these men and their Lenten journey. As human beings, we are most truly human when we become what we were created for, to love and to serve God by loving and serving each other, and their season of Lent is bringing them back to that sense of wholeness and purpose. They struggle with a disease that is very misunderstood in our society as choice and illness become intertwined. However, like any disease, it involves a period of recovery and for them their prescription for health requires a lot of soul searching and brutal honesty. Each time I listen to them I’m astounded at their courage to share their vulnerabilities with so many people. Do I have the strength to admit, even to myself, my own weaknesses and failings? These men and this season remind me that it is in my best interest to do so. Lent is very real for them and evident in their words, and they challenge me to make Lent real in my own life. Too often, I let this season go by without really examining where my life is headed, where I failed to love others, where I need to ask forgiveness. Yet, Christ reminds us that, “unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit.” (Jn 12:24) As these men make their Lenten journey, I am challenged to journey with them during this season. What needs to die in me so that when Easter comes it will be a time to rejoice because Lent has remade me and produced as much good fruit in me as I see in the men at the Fr. Alfred Center?

Ed. Note: This entry was written by Noah, a junior at University of San Francisco. Noah’s role is to help coordinate the service-learning program for his peers who serve with St. Anthony Foundation:

My favorite days at St. Anthony’s are the days when someone takes you completely by surprise and teaches you a lesson about yourself. I had one of those days just last Friday at St. Anthony Dining Room. A guest sat down in front of me and we began eating our burritos together. I never got his name, but for the sake of this blog post, we’ll call him Ray, because he reminded me of my Uncle Ray. After we exchanged a smile, Ray saw my nametag and asked me what I did as an intern at St. Anthony’s. I told him that I went to USF and worked with students who do service-learning. He asked me my major; I told him that I was in International Relations. His response was, “Well, you better hurry up before it’s too late!” We shared some of our views over current events and the international order. Talk over politics and policy quickly turned to history and culture, and in order to emphasize some of his arguments with visual aids, Ray whipped out his iPhone to show me some pictures of late-Medieval and Renaissance art. Eventually, we ran out of things to talk about and were resigned to agree to disagree on certain issues. Ray finished his meal and went on his way. I was left a little bit surprised that a guest at St. Anthony’s might have an iPhone. But as I kept thinking, I became even more shocked by my own prejudice. It just goes to show that as much as we like to classify and categorize people with preconceived criteria, no demographic group is 100% homogenous. Most of the guests are St. Anthony’s probably don’t have iPhones, (just as most of my colleagues at USF probably don’t) but why shouldn’t some? St. Anthony’s serves all people, with and without homes, jobs, educations, families, legal resident statuses, cars, and yes, even iPhones. It takes individuals like Ray to remind me of this. You can bet that the next time I meet a guest in St. Anthony Dining Room, I won’t be making any assumptions about his or her mobile provider.

Ed. Note: This week’s entry was written by Clarissa, a student at Westmont College in Santa Barbara participating in a Spring Term internship with St. Anthony Foundation.

Today marks the end of my third week as an internship here at St. Anthony Foundation. I am living in San Francisco and interning as part of an off-campus program through Westmont College in Santa Barbara. As a student, I’ve found that most of my education revolves around demolishing my own ignorance and St. Anthony’s has definitely continued that education. I circulate through many aspects of St. Anthony’s: communications, Advocacy, the Dining Room and the Tech Lab. This variety allows me to not only see how St. Anthony’s work as a non-profit organization, but also lets me personally communicate with guests and clients.

In the past three weeks I have met guests in the Dining Room with incredible stories and talents. For instance I met a man who could recite all of John Donne’s Mediation 17; I’m an English major and can’t even do that. I’ve also met people leading the charge to advocate for the rights of the low-income and homeless. All the knowledge I’ve been exposed to about SROs and budget cuts chips away at my ignorance and slowly replaces it with a better understanding of poverty, why people are homeless and often why they are forced to stay homeless because of difficult circumstances. I’m starting to realize how many obstacles face the poor who are trying to get back on their feet and how I could easily be the one standing in line rather than serving in the dining room.

Ed. Note: This week’s entry was written by Domanique, a student at St. Mary’s College participating in a January Term internship with St. Anthony Foundation. Today is her last day with us but from the sounds of it, she’ll be back!

St. Anthony Foundation has been a new experience for me. Although it wasn’t my first time working with the homeless, this encounter was different and exciting. I have been able to understand people and have learned to not look on the surface of the individual, but to dig deep into the soul of each person I met. I have made myself available to work outside of my comfort zone and embraced the tasks that I thought would be hard to overcome, but that I found quite intriguing and overwhelming. I have humbled myself not only to those that I have met but also those whom I have known for years. This experience helped me to get a better relationship with God and my understanding of Matthew 25:36 (Naked, and you clothed me: I was sick, and you visited me…) I feel truly blessed to have had this opportunity and I hate that I have to go. I had such a great experience with St. Anthony’s, that I want to continue to volunteer in my free time! See you all soon!

Join me in welcoming St. Anthony’s new Winter 2010 interns! Vincent, Domanique and Katie started their internships with us yesterday and we’ve been keeping them busy.  Today, they served the very popular Barbeque Chicken meal to more than 2000 guests in our Dining Room and now we are headed over to the Father Alfred Center to acknowledge this month’s graduates, men who have successfully completed a year of sober-living and life-rebuilding at St. Anthony’s drug and alcohol treatment program.

Remember, it’s not to late to apply online to be a part of our intern cohort this semester.  Contact me at mpippet@stanthonysf.org to learn more.

Editor’s Note: Linda Szabados is a junior at University of San Francisco and a native of the Bay Area. She currently serves as an Advocate for Community Engagement (ACE) for St. Anthony Foundation, an integral liaison between St. Anthony’s, USF and our service-learning students. Below is a reflection on her experiences as an ACE and her perspective on her role with St. Anthony’s.

“Growing up in the Bay Area, my family and I were always involved in serving others-whether it was through our church and parish, our cultural community, or in our neighborhood. I had not only been raised by my family to see the value in serving, and recognize it’s importance, but I had always attended schools that re-enforced this same belief. During my junior year of high school, I participated in one of St. Anthony’s Justice Education days and served in the Dining Room, and it was the first time I had been exposed to serving in a large, structured, non-profit organization. I was very moved by my experiences in the Dining Room, and when I enrolled in a service-learning course during my first year at USF, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to work with St. Anthony’s once again. This led me to recognize the value St. Anthony’s placed on their volunteers and also gain a better understanding of the amount of work staff truly put into operating such an organization. I felt as though I had learned a lot through my experiences with St. Anthony’s and had really become part of a community during my service.

The following year, I had the opportunity to begin working for USF as an Advocate for Community Engagement (ACE) which enabled me to take a leadership role in facilitation other students’ service-learning experiences. I was placed with a different non-profit in the city and it was a job I was very excited about. However, as the semester got underway, I felt as though some of the students and professors I was working with did not seem quite as enthusiastic and I began to feel a little cynical. Considering the great experiences I had as a service-learner, it was frustrating to work with students who did not see the same value as I did in service. It brought me to question myself: Were my expectations of service-learners and their professors too high? I did not think so. However, as I began to evaluate my own service experiences, I also began to doubt my initial response to that question.

As the year went on, and I contemplated this more and more, I began to realize that everyone carries different experiences and biases with them when they volunteer. That realization helped me to better understand my role as an ACE and to help support service-learners through their experiences, helping them to learn and grow through service and solidarity with the community.

This year, my role as an ACE, came full circle when I jumped at the opportunity to facilitate service-learning experiences at the same organization where I first completed my own two years ago, St. Anthony Foundation. The students and professors with whom we are working are phenomenal, invested in the community and learning to achieve their own educational objectives while finding purpose in providing service to the community. I feel really grateful for this opportunity and am inspired by the work of St. Anthony’s and the dedication of our service-learning partners!!”

To inquire further about St. Anthony Foundation’s service-learning program, visit our website!