Medina 1

BrittanyMedina

AndrewMiller

EXPL390

16March2017

ABCDReflectionPaper

AssetBasedCommunityDevelopmenthasfivepartsthatcontributetocommunities

whichincludeindividuals,associations,institutions,physicalassets,andconnections.Theassets

anddeficitsoforganizationsinthesecommunities,haveaneffectonthesuccessionorfailureof

theorganizationasawhole.Everyorganizationhasamissionwhichtheyhopetoextendtoas

manyindividualsastheycan.

Misericordiafocusesonassetsanddeficitsintheirorganization.Oneoftheassetsthat

Misericordiafocusesonistheirjobtrainingprogramfortheresidentsthatlivethere.

Misericordiaconnectswithlocalbusinessestoprovidejobsfortheresidents.Someoftheplaces

residentsworkincludeTraderJoes,Marianos,andOliveGarden.Theseplacesworkwiththe

individualtoaccommodatetheirneeds,butalsoteachthemtheskillssotheycanbeprofessional

intheworkplace.Theresidentsaregivingbacktotheircommunityaswellasbenefitting

themselvesthroughtheskillstheyarelearning.Adeficitthattheorganizationhasistheturnover

ratewithemployees.Thejobstheseindividualshaveareverydemandingandstressful.The

workersatMisericordiadonotmakealotofmoneyfortheamountofstresstheyputupwith.

Staffmembersareworkingalotofhoursorpickingupshiftsbecausetheyareunderstaffedand

needpeopletotakecareoftheresidents.Ifthestaffisfeelingburntout,itcouldhaveaneffect

ontheresidentsandthecarethatisbeingprovided.Atmyorganization,assetsarevaluedmore
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thandeficits.Theyhavemoreassetsoverallforboththestaffandresidents,butstillhavesome

thingsthatholdthembackfromsuccessioninallareas.LikeIdiscussedabove,itishardtokeep

peopleinterestedintheworkthattheyaredoingwhenittakessomuchtimeandenergytodoso.

Iftherewasawaytoencourageemployeesmore,thantheorganizationwouldbebetteroverall.

SomeoftheassetsIfocusonatmyinternshipincludetheresidentsthemselves.I

acknowledgehowrewardingtheworkIamdoingis.IthinkknowingthatIambenefittingthem

andtheirsuccessmakesmyjobeasier.Ahugfromthemorevenjustasmile,improvesmymood

nomatterwhattypeofdayIamhaving.AnotherassetIfocusonisthelearningopportunities

thisorganizationoffersme.Itprovideslearningexperiencesformetogrowasanindividual

whichIcanapplyinmyfutureworkwiththispopulationofpeople.SomeofthedeficitsthatI

focusonarethelackoffundingtheorganizationhasandhowtheprogramscouldbesomuch

betteriftheyhadtheproperequipmentfortheresidents.Iftheyhadbetterequipmentormore

roomtoputequipment,itwouldbeeasiertoencouragetheimportanceoffitnesstoresidents.I

valuebothassetsanddeficits,buttrytofocusmoreontheassetsthattheorganizationprovides

soitdoesnotimpactmymoodorworkwiththeresidents.Ialsobelievethatdeficitshelpme

strivetoputmoreenergyintotheworkthatIamdoingatmyinternship.SinceIseewherethings

arelacking,Ihaveideasandmotivationtomakethembetterthantheyalreadyare.

Myworkiscontributingtomyunderstandingofcommunitydevelopmentbyhelpingthe

disabledpopulationinRogersPark.Misericordiaservesasanorganizationfortheseindividuals

tobeconnectedtothecommunitysotheyhavetheopportunityforresourcesthattheymaynot

havewiththeirfamilies.ByinterningatMisericordia,Iamcontributingtothecollectiveaction

ofhelpingwithaproblemthatwehaveinourcommunity.Thisallowsustohavemoreopinions
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thatcanmakeabetterprogramandspacefortheseindividualsthatarelivingthere.Although

thisisourjobandmanyofthepeoplethatIworkwithgetpaidforwhattheyaredoing,theyare

interestedinthenegativestigmathatthispopulationfacesandhowtheycanbesolvedtoallow

themtoliveabetterlife.ThroughtheworkthatIamdoing,Iamhelpingindividualsfeel

empoweredthroughtheskillsandabilitiestheyhaveratherthanthedisabilities.Asan

organization,weaccommodatetotheirneedssotheycanexcelinwhatevertheyaredoing.

Inconclusion,AssetBasedCommunityDevelopmentallowsforindividualstobe

connectedtotheircommunity,whichallowsboththeorganizationsandthepersontobenefit.

Misericordiaspecificallyprovidesmanyopportunitiesfortheirresidentstoconnectandprovide

helptonearbyorganizationsinthecommunity.Theyallowpeoplelikemetocontributetotheir

organizationtomakeitbetterthanitalreadyis.Byworkingwithotherindividualsand

empoweringresidentstousetheskillsthattheyhave,thecommunitycanbeimpactedalongwith

theorganizationitself.