I am grateful for the experiential knowledge gained during my Americorps year working for a homeless prevention outreach program in Alamosa, CO. My job was to meet with people who were near homelessness - facing an eviction notice, a foreclosure, or a utility shut-off that would cause homelessness - and to try to work out a plan that would keep them in their home. I learned that there are tons of factors that can bring people to this point, ranging from systemic injustice to generational cycles of poverty to a bad economy to bad individual luck and/or choices. I was privileged to hear people's stories, which almost always included some good times and some bad times. I was blessed to grow up in a finacially secure home, so I knew very little about poverty other than what I had read in books or heard in academic conversations. It's a whole different experience to actually talk to the people who are impacted - which is not at all the same as experiencing it yourself, but it does give you helpful knowledge as you try to understand and think of ways to help with poverty. I'm grateful to the people who told me their stories, and to La Puente for bringing in Americorps volunteers and giving us an experience that certainly helps us as much as the people served.
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