English teacher Vanessa Hadikusumah closes her eyes and feels the warmth of the sun on her skin as she sits back in her lawnchair, phone in hand. She carefully dials an unfamiliar number, holding her breath as the receiving line rings. Hearing the click on the other end, she steadies her nerves, knowing she is about to make a difference in someone’s life.
Hadikusumah’s passion for humanitarianism developed during her six years of involvement at Church in the Park, a service event where she cooked breakfast for the homeless and formerly incarcerated every Sunday morning. Her experiences there inspired her to take the 2018-2019 school year off and volunteer at Union Station Homeless Services.
“I got to a point where I wanted to know more, aside from serving food,” Hadikusumah said. “I wondered how they were rehomed, what services were provided, when they changed their lives, and if they want to change their lives. All these other questions I could not answer just by serving food.”
She worked in Union Station Homeless Services’s career development sector and served at Job Club, a monthly seminar that prepares the unemployed for the workforce.
“I remember sharing about workplace struggles, time management and prioritizing tasks,” Hadikusumah said. “Part of it was understanding each other, but it was also understanding the demands and struggles of different professions, and understanding what kind of attitude you can have towards them.”
In addition, Hadikusumah met with clients individually to discuss life situations and how to plan for the future.
“I love that I was interacting with clients one on one,” Hadikusumah said. “It felt like getting to know different people and making connections during the experience.”
Hadikusumah also helped clients find affordable and specialized rental housing, such as complexes built for pregnant women, single mothers or families escaping abuse. She also collaborated with her clients to find Section 8 housing, which consists of rental apartments and homes for low income tenants.
“It was very challenging to find housing that accepts Section 8 vouchers or even low cost housing, especially in the Pasadena area,” Hadikusumah said. “On average, one out of eight phone calls would meet the requirements, so it usually takes a month’s worth of phone calls to settle for housing.”
Hadikusumah returned to teaching after her gap year ended in July 2019. In the future, she will continue to volunteer at Church in the Park and hopes to stay involved with Union Station.
“Coming back I have a bit of a shift in philosophy,” Hadikusumah said. “I value mercy and giving people the benefit of the doubt a lot more. Things don’t always follow a schedule. A lot of times you just have to go with it and give people a chance.”
TCHS School Newspaper