Because I Need to Spend Time in the Field if What I Say is Going to Have Any Credibility

Last night was my first night volunteering at a wet shelter. I have experience at a dry shelter in a suburban town; I conducted a small survey to see what kinds of groups people would be interested in and helped to start up a reading group and a computer group (sadly both groups fell through shortly after their inception because both I and the other facilitator got new jobs) but a wet shelter is another story. Here clients regularly come in drunk, substance use problems are a prerequisite of being able to regularly access a bed at this shelter. I was quite nervous going in but the staff made me feel right at home. The clients were also great, even though one wasn't too happy with me for putting gravy on his potatoes. I didn't get to talk to too many people in great depth but the few that I did talk to were quite friendly, one updated me on the state of the Red Sox while another asked some deep questions (how am I supposed to answer "What's the most important thing in your life?" on the fly?). I'm looking forward to going back next week, I shouldn't have waited this long to get started!