Internship Experience
...o are involved and their surrounding families, by showing warmth, compassion and encouragement to grow as a woman and succeed in helping other women who are just like you and I. Though I cannot speak on how the organization will run in the future, I can speak on how I think it will run and embellish on how much time, effort and heart is put into opening this shelter. To speak of the shelter, one must speak of Sherita McKitty, the Executive Director of Compassion House Transitional Shelter (CHTS). Sherita is a victim of domestic abuse herself, of to which she lost twelve long years of her life, twelve years of sacrifice and hurt at the hands of an abusing man. When she finally managed to break the rein of abuse she gave herself to God and it was here that she received the ultimate gift in life, spiritual healing. She then knew that God’s purpose for her was to put all of her heart and soul in to helping other women and children who are currently feeling the ramifications of domestic abuse. Sherita then and there set a goal to open a transitional shelter that would allow women and children a chance to break free from that vicious cycle and empower themselves and their children allowing them a chance at succeeding in living a “normal” life. The learning experience at Compassion House is like no other. It allows a chance to see the stages of development that many do not get a chance to see; the proper tax forms that are needed to run a shelter, the charitable licenses, the fundraising ideas and techniques, the criteria and regulations that the state mandates and puts forth to operate a shelter, the heart that has and continues to go into this idea that started as a dream and has turned into reality. The services that Compassion House will offer to the women and children are as essential as the actual residency that they will receive. They have Housing and Job Searching which will allow the women to further succeed in life by giving the necessary tools needed to find appropriate housing and teaching them skills that will allow them to acquire and maintain employment. They also will host support groups that will allow the women and children to see that they are not alone in this fight and will allow the women and children to cope naturally and release emotions that have been built up for a long time. The counseling that will be provided will be of the same nature allowing the women and children to cope mentally as well as physically. Some of the other services that will be offered are children programs, reading and writing classes, spiritual and cultural enrichment, financial planning, computer literacy, conflict management and resolution and parenting groups, of to which are all of equal importance, in that they all allow gainful experience needed that will apply to actual real life experiences. Though the road has been long and there have been many hurdles in the way, the progression of Compassion House is on its way. Everyone has their part and their own ideas and input as to how the final plan will work out. The responsibilities which I have taken on now and for in the future require a lot of determination, hard work and heart, of to which I have put myself forward and want to be a part of this organization. Currently we have meetings, usually, on a weekly basis, where we all come together, well at least some of us, and we brainstorm and come forward with ideas for the shelter. I also have made up many of the forms which will be implemented in the opening and in the future of Compassion House. I have been a part in the donation process, which is actually not as bad as I thought it would be. People are very generous when there is a good cause to fight for and the community’s response is overwhelming. I made the template letter that has been used and will be used to ask for donations from various corporations including, Wal-Mart, Bed Bath & Beyond, K-Mart and Home Depot. We also h...