From the Intern Desk …

Written by Vincent, St. Mary’s College “Jan Term” intern who took advantage of opportunities to serve at St. Anthony Free Medical Clinic and St. Anthony Dining Room, while also participating in activities that bring to light some of the factors that perpetuate poverty:

Learning about the Tenderloin Neighborhood began my first day. It is home to more than18,00 people according to census data now a decade old. This number of course only includes those with roofs over their heads. These people live in the 25-30 blocks which comprise the neighborhood. It is the poorest in the city and the second most populous after Chinatown. In contrast, it is bordered by Nob Hill, the Civic Center, and the designer stores of Union Square.

For lunch the first day we stood in line with the guests at the Dining Room. I felt more welcomed by the others in line than by those serving food, for whom the numbers of people in line I’m sure get overwhelming. (The Dining Room currently serves 2600 meals per day.) I was sure to keep that in mind the following day when my role was as server, instead of servee. Acknowledging people with a smile is core to the Franciscans (who began the Dining Room and work at St. Boniface Church next door) and their focus on how each person is served. It became the most clear to me that this human decency was nothing short of miraculous when we exited the building after several hours of serving and busing trays. The line stretched down the long inside corridor and wrapped around the corner of the building to the halfway point of the block.

At the Free Medical Clinic my responsibilities included scanning documents into the electronic record system (which helps immensely to keep the clinic organized and each patient visit concise) and calling patients in English and Spanish to remind them of their appointment the following day. I was a bit nervous at first, but practicing and helping by using Spanish was one of the reasons I chose St. Anthony Free Medical Clinic. About 60% of the patients at St. Anthony’s are Latino and each staff member is bilingual or trilingual. I made about thirty calls that first day and by the end was feeling more comfortable with it. This part of my internship was a great introduction to the medical field, which apart from my own doctor visits I really haven’t had. I am an aspiring Primary Care doctor and interning here has made me all the more excited to continue chemistry next semester and biology next year. I can definitely see myself working in an environment like St. Anthony’s—not too hectic but with a tangible sense of purpose.

Presentation senior center is located between the Tenderloin and downtown and is a place for community seniors to socialize, eat, and see the staff nurses. This was something I was particularly happy to doI had never worked extensively with the elderly before. Despite the language barrier (70% of their guests are monolingual Chinese speakers), I immediately felt welcomed by the staff and guests and was able to participate in aerobics and learn to play dominoes.

Above all I gained tremendous respect for the people of the Tenderloin. The other interns and I went on several neighborhood walks during our lunch breaks and took Megan’s (our supervisor) advice that just like in the dining room, a simple acknowledgment and eye contact makes all the difference. The three of us felt safe and welcomed by the neighborhood, which admittedly was not our initial expectation. I hope to come back to the neighborhood to see what more it has to teach me!