Poetry Street Issue #2 and Update

Today I officially launched the beginning of the second issue of the Poetry Street Project. The mark the occasion, I applied for an artist's mini-grant from the Iowa Arts Council.

Other things have changed in both my life and our community since the last blog entry. In October I went to Montana to visit my best friend, Robin. I flew into Idaho Falls, ID, where she picked me up. Within an hour, we were driving north in a great western Rocky Mountain blizzard, when I received a phone call from Kate King, the former director of the Midwest Writing Center. It seems she had taken a new job as the property manager of the Humility of Mary Shelter and wanted me to bring in my resume for a position there.

After the news that the John Lewis homeless shelter was going to close, the Sisters of the Humility of Mary, who currently ran a housing program for homeless single parents, had stepped forward and offered to take over the shelter so there would be no loss of services for the homeless community. The citizens of Davenport also stepped forward, with many area businesses pledging support for the Humility of Mary Shelter, Inc., as it is now known.

Needless to say, I could not bring my resume right in for a job interview, being stuck in an Idaho/Montana blizzard, but I had my husband email it for me, and was called to interview when I returned from vacation.

Shortly before Halloween, I was hired as a service coordinator, providing information and support to shelter guests to help them put their lives back together. I am probably the one service coordinator there without an MSW, but I believe my experiences with homelessness, poverty, and the government programs designed to alleviate that may have helped. At any rate, the learning curve was pretty steep--the shelter was being completely revamped by HMSI, including all the required paperwork, and it took me awhile to catch on to the administrative details. But it is one of the most rewarding jobs I've ever had and there is never a dull moment in shelter!

So, the homeless in Davenport retained a place to go in the cold and snowy winters and the hot and humid summers, and I am proud to be a part of a community that cares. Look for our next Poetry Street Project issue sometime in April!