The social work students at The Ohio State University at Lima got an up-close, and in the case of a few boxing gloves, in-your-face look at the broad variety of services offered to the community by activities, programs and agencies supported by the United Way.
The faculty member who coordinated the day knows how important it is for the future social workers to understand the relationship between the individuals they will help and the community we all live in.
“As social workers, we work from a person-in-environment perspective. When we work with individuals, we need to understand the context in which they live, including family and community,” said Ohio State Lima’s Carmen Cupples, lecturer in social work. “Understanding how the United Way supports the community, we get to learn about how improving life from a community perspective can help make life better for the individual.”
Tour stops included Bradfield Center where students learned more about Bradfield, the Senior Citizens Services and Crime Victims Services; West Ohio Food Bank; and Soldiers of Honor where the ARC of Allen County, Big Brothers/Big Sisters and Soldiers of Honor were highlighted.
Each agency gave the students a taste of services they offer their program participants, including pickleball, boxing, and packing food boxes.
Social Work Senior Jaden Crowder (above, center) gave everything offered a try from pickleball to group discussion to activities intended to make one reflect on what it would mean to actually be the constituent that the program is serving. He is taking away a lot to think about and great information to share.
“I have lived in Lima for most of my life and I didn't know even half of the things that were offered here,” Crowder said. “It shows how many opportunities that are available yet go under the radar for the people who could benefit from them.”
Cupples is grateful for the time both the United Way and the individual organizations gave to her students during the impact tour. Her hope for her students is that they see the many opportunities they will have to make a difference in someone’s life either one-one-one or through a community-based approach like what the United Way does.
“Nothing is more powerful than experiential learning, or learning by doing,” Cupples said. “Actively engaging in a hands-on experience amplifies the knowledge retention by putting the learner at the center of the action.”
