Sherina Anne Carpio

NUR 4116P: Population & Global Health Practicum

Kathy Faw & Lauren Threatt

April 22, 2023

Post-Global Reflection Assignment

During my practicum experience, I was able to devote a bit of my time to a shelter. From

my Sheltering Arms experience with CARITAS, during my first visit, the first hour was a bit

slow and there was nothing for me to do. I anticipated helping women complete job applications,

however, no one seemed to be filling out applications that day. I picked out a puzzle from the

recreation cabinet, sat down at a table, and began working on it. There was one woman there

who seemed to be undergoing psychosis. I was unsure of how to approach her, so I continued

with my puzzle for the time-being. As women began to swarm in, I tried my best to appear

approachable and asked if any of them would like to help me with the puzzle. Two women

wanted to join me, so I was given the opportunity to get to know them a little better.

Volunteering at the shelter allowed me to get to know a few women who were struggling to

make ends meet, overcoming addiction, battling mental health disorders and so much more.

Some of them had known each other for some time, while others were newfound friends. I was

able to speak with all kinds of women. All of these women expressed a wide range of emotions:

happy, sad, afraid, grateful, and numb. I overheard women gossiping. I witnessed a woman fall

asleep at a table due to withdrawal. I did spend more time volunteering with the furniture bank;

however, the Sheltering Arms experience was more memorable.

The shelter provided women with food, a place to sleep, recreational activities, and

various other resources to help them during their time of struggle. When I witnessed a woman
falling asleep as she was trying to eat, I overheard a few residents talking about her and saying

that she was undergoing withdrawal. This woman was battling addiction. She had almost laid her

head in the bowl of food in front of her before I intervened and asked her if I could help her to

her cot. She agreed so I helped her up and walked her to her bed. It was covered with her suitcase

and other items, so I moved everything out of the way so that she was able to lay down. I noticed

someone who appeared very stressed and asked her if she could help me with the puzzle that I

was working on just so that I would be able to distract her troubled mind.

As I’ve been struggling to balance school, work, taking care of my kids, and maintaining

my sanity, this experience has reminded me that I am not the only one struggling and that there

are far worse problems than the ones that I have been going through. As someone who has

experienced a bit of poverty myself, this experience was also a great reminder of some of the

struggles that I had faced in the past. Empathy is what drives me to become a better person and

help those who are struggling. It is one thing to feel sorry for people who have struggled, but it is

another to know and understand what they are going through. It was important for me to offer

myself to these women in any way that I could.

I think the part of this experience that had affected me the most was assisting the woman

who was undergoing withdrawal. Before I had ended my relationship with the father of my kids,

I had experienced a lot of physical, mental, and emotional abuse. This was due to my previous

partner’s addiction to recreational substances. I tried my best to help him fight his addiction and

was patient with him for over two years, but in the end, it was just something that I could no

longer endure, especially with two small children witnessing everything. The opportunity of

giving my time to the underserved community has been a very valuable experience to me. The

expectations I had for this experience were definitely met.