Last day!

Today is my last day working as an intern at Amethyst. I have learned and experienced so much over these past 10 weeks that I will never forget. I have seen that working at a nonprofit is tough. Everyone does everything to get the work done. My experiences here were unlike any I have had before. Dealing with addiction and trauma treatment and all that comes with it is something I have learned so much about. I am going to miss interning here a lot and all of the people I have met. Thank you to everyone at Amethyst for making me feel so welcome at this great place to work. Lauren and Teresa have been the best bosses I could ever imagine. I have had so much fun getting to know them and working with them this summer. Thanks again to everyone!!

Inspirational bathroom messages

"You are special and beautiful." This simple message was written on a sticky note and posted on the mirror of the women's bathroom by one of the clients here at Amethyst. There is now another message posted along with the first to inspire and encourage the women of Amethyst to believe in themselves everyday and remember how great they truly are.

Having a simple message like this can not only lift the spirits of the women going through treatment, but also anyone who might take a moment to read the message no matter who they are. Everyone needs a boost once in awhile and a little reminder to be who you are and always know that you are special is important to anyone. Someone thought that a handwritten note posted on a mirror would help brighten the day of one women and I know that it has done more than that for everyone at Amethyst.

Girls dealing with problems in unhealthy ways

Two recent reports have shown that teenage girls are attempting to deal with their problems and stresses by doing drugs and drinking alcohol. There has been an increase in the percent of girls who drink at a younger age, while the percent of boys has stayed the same. Boys also drink for different reasons then girls like to have more fun at a party. These results are horrible. There needs to be other ways for teenage girls to deal with the issues they may be having at home or at school other than substance abuse. One of the toughest times in a girls life is during her teenage years and getting through it with alcohol or drugs is the wrong road to take. We need to decrease the amount of teens who are drinking and doing drugs at a younger age so the problem does not escalate in their futures.

My Very Own Blanket

Another local nonprofit is working to make a difference. My Very Own Blanket, based in Westerville, makes blankets for children across Ohio in foster care. The organization started in 1999 and has made more than 25,000 blankets. They work with volunteers from all over including inmates at the Ohio Reformatory for Women and the Girl Scouts of America. The organization is now looking to local businesses for support from their employees to help make blankets or donate bath items for the children in foster care. The blankets give the children something they can call their own and hold on to through tough times. My Very Own Blanket is a great cause trying to comfort and provide stability for children in foster care.

6 weeks!

I have been interning at Amethyst for around 6 weeks now. I can't believe it has already been 6 weeks! I have been able to do so many different things working at Amethyst that will help me to prepare for a career in the future. From writing articles, thank you letters and donation requests to doing research on corporate donors and general statistical information, I have had the opportunity to experinence a lot. One of the most rewarding parts of this internship has been getting to see what exactly Amethyst does helping women and their families through addiction problems. It takes a lot to run a non-profit and I have seen how hard each one of the employees here work. Another part of the job that I had never experienced before was the meetings and collaborative work that happens at a non-profit or any business. Working together as a team and bouncing ideas and suggestions off of each other is something that seems very beneficial in this environment. I have about 6 weeks more to go and I can't wait to see what else I will get to do and experience working at Amethyst!

National Drug Control Strategy Reaction

The National Drug Control Strategy has set goals that seem to have objectives that would truly benefit society and drug and alcohol users in general. I believe that moving from getting tough on drugs to prevention, intervention and treatment is the right road to take when dealing with alcohol and drugs. Although the budget has increased for drug control the money is not going into the areas that go along with the new path that the strategy is saying they want to take. By giving more money to law enforcement rather than prevention and treatment their new goals will not be met. In regards to admissions, treatment for people with multiple addictions seems to not be coinciding with how many people actually have multiple addictions. One other statistic that stood out to me was how the unemployment rate has risen so much for people in treatment since 2000.

Self-esteem graduation

Today was graduation day for the women who have been taking self-esteem classes. I listened to stories from these women about their issues with self-esteem throughout their lives. Some of the women didn't believe that they had self-esteem problems and didn't think they should have to be in the class. They soon came to realize that some of their underlying issues and problems came from having low self-esteem. Other women had said they had been dealing with this problem for years and finally can now appreciate themselves for who they are. One reoccurring theme throughout the speeches was how these women were beginning to accept themselves from the inside out and not letting other people define who they are. All of the women thanked each other as well as the teachers for all of their support and encouragement throughout their journey. Each woman had her own issues with self-esteem and each woman shared how she will continue to grow from everything she had learned in the class. One of the best and most emotional parts of the graduation was when two of the women sang "Hero" by Mariah Carey. All of the women graduating as well as the people attending graduation became emotional and you could see how everyone was affected by this wonderful class.