Having now finished my time at Part of the Solution, I’ve used the past day or two to reflect on my experience there. To say that POTS is a simple organization would be a lie, but not far from the truth. What I’ve seen happen at POTS is an extraordinary effort to simplify the complicated aspects of the different operations that go on there. Some of the stories and situations I’ve encountered while being at POTS have been eye openers, but most importantly have taught me to practice my patience and really focus on my listening skills. Amidst the poverty present in POTS’s neighborhood, the organization shines through the clouds that you will, without a doubt, encounter if you ever visit the area. The positive nature of the organization turned out to be extremely contagious. After sleepily making the hour-long commute to POTS every morning, I was constantly and effortlessly greeted by a room full of smiles, which ended up serving as a substitute for a morning coffee to wake me up.
Line outside of POTS
My supervisors turned out to be more than I could ever ask for. As time went on, they threw increasingly challenging tasks at me, but nothing that I couldn’t handle. They motivated me to come to work every day, and besides the work, we got along extremely well. One of the things that will always stand out in my mind was when an older woman in a wheelchair took a visit to our office and requested some help from us. She was a sub-tenant in an apartment and the main person on the lease hadn’t been seen in around three weeks. During those three weeks, her electricity and gas were turned off due to her inability to pay the bill since she wasn’t listed on the bill. To make a long story short, my supervisors handed me the task and with some help we ended up getting her electricity turned back on the next day. She expressed sincere thankfulness when we told her the news; the look on her face was something I’ll never forget.
