I asked Alan and Ben, who recently finished their 4.5 month stint as temporary Housekeepers at Hamer, to write a short reflective piece on their time at Hamer. The following is from Alan ……..

After working at Servants for over two years, it became a whole new perspective to witness this world on the frontline as a Night Manager. I developed skills in listening, patience, and keeping a level head in difficult situations. What I have witnessed on many occasions is a strong sense of community, and that concepts such as friendship and belonging are so universal to everyone’s feelings of peace and security.

An important thing I learned in my experience is that first impressions count for so little. Some residents can display one persona but have an entirely different one underneath. One of the challenges but also joys of living with them was to try and discover what was underneath, to see who they truly are. I discovered the dangers of propagating an ‘us against them’ mentality between management and residents, too much of a divide creates a mistrust on both ends. When those barriers were broken, I could see mutual respect appear, and a stronger relationship develop.

One of my many joys has been to see positive changes in residents over time, and to feel personally involved in that. To see them quit drinking, or to start a new hobby or change of lifestyle, even just seeing them accept outside help, these are victories that sometimes were overshadowed by negative experiences, but those are the moments that I will always seek to positively reflect on. These are real people, with real lives, and with real problems. If I have in any way even had a small impact on their lives in a positive way, I will be truly thankful.