as posted on myspace
This week in the life of Jessie:
I started my internship at the domestic violence shelter on Monday August 28th. The first day was overwhelming. I was given a tour and then told to read a lot of materials. I worked 8 hours and it felt as if it was dragging on forever. Tuesday I went to my class at Shriners on USF campus in Tampa. BORING! I found out today Im the only undergrad which isnt bad, but I want less work than the grad students (Im lazy). Wednesday was Ernesto and so the kids didnt have school so the shelter was LOUD. At the time there were 20 kids and 16 adults. The oldest child is 16 and the youngest is (now) a little over a week. Loretta, one of the workers, did a group with the kids; we made cards for the moms. It was fun. Although, that didnt last long. When Im not playing with the kids Im either reading something or watching a movie (about domestic violence which from here out will be called dv). Thursday Loretta and I dropped a lady and her baby off at the bus station. She had a bus ticket to NY so she could get far away from her abuser and live with her parents. We also made smores for the kids (in the microwave) it was a lot of fun, and messy, and some of the kids said theyve never had it before. (oh, and I ate a couple). Friday, I was reading a thing on sexual abuse, because Angelica decided that I can get trained for sexual abuse cases, but after the kids got out of school they wanted to play. So the boys (an 11yo and 10yo theyre brothers) and I played a weird version of bball. Eventually we ended up playing hide and seek, and it was most of the younger kids (11 and younger) playing and me seeking. But then the mother with 5 kids (shes the mother of the newborn, 11yo and 10yo boys I was playing with, as well as a 5yo boy and 18mo girl) needed help because two of her babies needed their diapers changed and the 5yo was throwing a fit. Long story short I ended up holding the newborn. Now some of you dont know, but that is a BIG deal. I dont do newborns. But I had a feeling he needed burping (and I was right). Yesterday, I had been there for an hour and at ten they told me to go play with the kids. YAY! So I got out a couple games and played with them and then later, Loretta had errands to run and took me with her, we spent about 3 hours trying to pick up prescriptions and buy tarps for a slip n slide. (and I bought clothes so I could get wet) We spent about 2 hours playing with the water yesterday. I ended up working 10 hours at the shelter and 6 of them were with the kids. One of the girls there is five, but wanted me to treat her like I was treating the 18mo. Seriously, the 18mo girl was more independent than the 5yo girl. So, thats pretty much what its been like for me at the shelter. And FSU won! Yay! Oh and tomorrow Im going in late, because were going on a field trip to some park and Im going with (obviously because I said we). This means Ill be late for church, cuz I wont leave the park until around 6 or so, but Im excited! And I have tickets for Flogging Molly 0n the 17th, which is my mom's birthday, and I'm hoping to be at the Clemson game so that weekend will be very busy for me!