Something I’ve learned from my service year is…

We’ve been on hold for about two hours. The client sits next to me, bobbing his head to the tacky music playing over the speakerphone while I type away at the computer, responding to the never ending flurry of emails in my inbox. Suddenly, a human voice halts the upbeat show tunes. “Hello, how can I help you?” My client and I snap to attention, making eye contact immediately. Almost simultaneously, wide grins spread across our faces, and my client leans in for an overjoyed high five. Finally, we are able to connect with a human who can help address the food stamp issues my client has been facing. It’s another day in the life at the refugee services organization I’m on placement with through Notre Dame AmeriCorps - Seattle.

Every day at work, my coworkers and I undertake these kind of small journeys with our clients. Our clients come into our office seeking help to navigate the complex systems that, at some point, have tripped up each and every American. To name just a few, we receive a lot of questions about health insurance, about how to set up direct deposits, about crafting the perfect resume, and about how to navigate the competitive housing market. These topics are difficult enough for American-born individuals to navigate. Imagine being resettled in the United States with limited English proficiency and being expected to automatically understand how to access and advocate for your everyday needs. Super daunting, right?

At my organization, we attempt to serve as the human connections in these complex processes that now often involve very little face-to-face contact. For example, people can now sign up for healthcare and unemployment benefits online or over the phone (and are encouraged to do so instead of coming into the office). But having people access these services online or over the phone makes the assumption that those who need these services can read, speak, or generally feel comfortable using English. Clients have brought stories into the office of people who hung up on them after they’d been on hold for hours because the person on the other end of the line didn’t have the patience to work through limited English proficiency. At our organization, we try to minimize the likelihood of similar experiences occurring by being available to our clients every step of the way on their journey to access their needs. We make phone calls with clients and ensure the operator understands exactly what our client needs. We explain each question and section of the job applications they are filling out, so they can feel more in control and confident of the decisions they make about their future. We would not be able to do this, however, without the utmost trust of our clients.

At our first Service Year 100 meeting, we talked a lot about how we build trust with strangers in both our everyday lives and in our occupations. Although I’ve only been working at my placement site for two months, what has struck me the most about the trust-building process is by how important the act of listening is. People by their very nature like to be listened to. However, the sad state of our society today is that some voices carry more weight than others; many voices are drowned out by those with more social capital and privilege. Our clients often come into our office frustrated about the customer service rep who hung up on them, or the email that was never responded to. In short, our clients were not listened to. Their needs were not validated. As a Connection Desk staff member, the most important task of the day is to listen and ensure that by the end of our appointment they feel as if they have been deeply understood, regardless of whether or not a language barrier exists. Listening is not an easy process (particularly with language barriers), nor is it a process with an end date - listening at its most beneficial is continuous by requirement. We listen even when they are not talking - through body language, through writing, through feelings. It extends beyond the initial appointment when we meet them for the first time - we often receive clients who are “regulars,” and to best serve them and understand their needs, listening is crucial to offer them the best services we can offer.

Although listening can be exhausting, emotionally draining, and at times frustrating, the payoff can be pretty incredible. It’s in seeing our “regulars” who trust us enough to keep coming back to ask any questions they have, or just to drop in and say hello. It’s in the clients who come back to our office telling us how excited they are about their new employment. And finally, it’s in the absences - the people who no longer need our services because they feel confident enough to advocate for themselves on their own. That is our ultimate goal - support with eventual self-sufficiency. I’m excited to see where else this journey of listening takes me over the next 9 months!