I am eager to write my first bi-monthly report after my first month here because I feel like I have learned so much in this initial phase. I want to make sure to document and share with you my first impressions of the Julie’s Family Learning Program community. As my experience and documentary evolve, I am sure I will find it interesting and informative to come back to these thoughts.

The staff

There are over twenty staff people at Julie’s, and three of them share the role of the executive. Bob oversees operations, and Sister Louise and Sister Jean oversee the adult learner and childcare programs, respectively. The sisters are both part of the Notre Dame order of nuns. If you came to Julie’s you probably would not know they were nuns at first since they wear street clothes and do not set themselves apart in any way. However, I think that their religious commitment is a key component of their long-term pursuit of this sort of work.

Just a couple of minutes ago I asked Sister Louise if I could talk to her about something unrelated to work. She said she had a minute. Though I realize that I risked being unprofessional, I told Louise that the girls in my Bible study and I had been praying for Kim, one of the mom’s served by Julie’s. Kim and her son, Christian, are about to move into their first home. Kim has been in a shelter since Christian was born, and he is now two years old. I became friendly with Kim after I took the photo of her that was used on the Annual Dinner fliers and invitations. I also made her an enlargement of the photograph because she said she wanted it to be the first thing they hung on the walls of their new home.

One of the girls in my Bible study suggested that we pool our resources to help furnish a room of Kim’s home. I asked Sister Louise if that was alright, and she not only thought it was ok, but told me she thought it was just wonderful. She gave me a tight hug and said that the Spirit shows us how to help. I felt like I understand her a little better now than I did this morning or any day before today.

Many people who work here have been here for very long periods of time. I was especially surprised to find this to be true in the area of childcare. Mary and Denise, who I worked with when I was helping out in the Infant Room, have been with Julie’s for years and have seen the organization go through many changes, particularly the move to the new building. I loved hearing their stories about changes within Julie’s and within South Boston as well.

Last week the weather here was beautiful, and there were fewer infants than normal. As a result Denise and I were eager to take long walks with the babies before lunch. During these strolls I got to see a great deal of South Boston. We walked through the housing projects where a lot of the women live. Denise also talked about the changing demographics of the area. Once occupied almost completely by people of Irish Catholic backgrounds, “Southie” is now home to a much more diverse population. There are more immigrants, more racial minority groups, and also more affluent people moving into the area.

The women

Julie’s is certainly a treasure, but it is not a hidden treasure. The organization is well known is South Boston. One mom said that as soon as she found out she was pregnant she signed up to go through the program. At Julie’s many women are working towards getting their GEDs. However, there are many other services Julie’s provides to the moms. First, the children of program members are either in infant care, toddler care, or Montessori preschool. Second, the women attend life skills classes and counseling sessions. Almost all of the women have been affected by addiction, whether they or through someone close to them has the abuse problem. I think that this sort of support, as well as the camaraderie among women who want to make better lives for their children, is what keeps the moms coming back and connected to the program even after they officially graduate.

Over the course of my first month I was able to spend a great deal of time with the infants and even the older children. It was more challenging, however, to get to know the moms. The women at Julie’s are dealing with a wide array of life challenges and are under a great deal of stress. Getting to know their children was a great gateway into their lives. The funny things the kids said or did were great conversation starters. I tried very hard to remember children’s names, match mothers and children, and also remember that relationship building takes time.

When I first arrived many of the staff members seemed very excited about the possibility that I could contribute to the 10-minute movie shown at the Annual Dinner. Even though I have no experience with video, I was eager to be useful and learn something new. I have spent nearly every afternoon working on the movie by sorting through old footage and photographs, shooting new footage, and running the “photo booth.” The photo booth idea was not really an original idea of mine since it is something I encountered during the time I spent at the Center for Documentary Studies.

The concept was simply to let the women talk to a camera about what Julie’s has meant to them in a room by themselves. I prepare the women by explaining how the MacBook, which has its own video camera, works and how they operate it. Then I help get them situated with a camera angle they find flattering and ask them if they have an idea about what they are going to say. Most women do, so I leave the room and tell them to get me when they are done. Almost all the women want to watch themselves, and we do that together. The emotional depth of the women’s responses has been astounding, and I feel privileged that the women who volunteered to be recorded have allowed me (and eventually everyone at the Annual Dinner) those glimpses into their lives.