This past summer, I served as the Case Management Director at the Y2Y Homeless Shelter, a young adult shelter based in Harvard Square. Students from schools across the Boston-Cambridge area serve as volunteers, overnight supervisors, case managers, and directors to ensure that Y2Y can serve the local population during the Fall, Spring, and Summer seasons. As a summer director, nine other full-time student-staff and I served in all of these capacities to operate the shelter from June through August; it was one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had during my time at Harvard.

In the spring of my junior year, the applications for summer-staff positions at Y2Y opened! I was incredibly excited to apply; becoming a summer director seemed to be the perfect way to round-out my undergraduate experience volunteering at Y2Y. In my first-year, I served as both an evening volunteer and overnight supervisor. I absolutely loved my time building community with guests and serving in a leadership capacity. My junior year, I returned to Y2Y as a Case Manager. This was by far my favorite position at Y2Y. I was able to forge deep relationships with guests providing support as they worked to achieve their educational, housing, health, and legal goals. After having served in diverse capacities, I felt ready to take on the challenge that being a Director presented and was excited to have a deeper impact on the organization and  guests.

The summer began on June 3rd with one week of intense training before we officially opened! Approaching the shelter on the first day, I felt a blend of excitement and nervousness; I was looking forward to meeting the team and getting started with my responsibilities. As with any new job, I was worried I would not achieve my personal expectations and goals. These worries were quickly dispelled as the entire team gathered; although I didn’t know the other members of the staff well, our commitment to the organization, guests, and each other was beyond evident. The support we showed from day one until the shelter closed allowed us to operate the shelter effectively and deepened the bonds of our friendship as the summer progressed. 

Most of the operations of the summer shelter were conducted by the ten directors (shout out to the breakfast, dinner, and evening volunteers without whom the shelter could not run!). In addition to each individual’s specific directorship, all of us also served as overnight supervisors and case managers. As a Case Management Director, I was responsible for overseeing the cases of all of the guests of the shelter, managing the relations and programs of external partners, organizing and curating relevant resources, and leading the team of case managers. All summer staff are also expected to serve on the Policy Committee, where we respond to and develop new shelter guidelines. Wearing all of these different hats allowed me to gain a deeper appreciation and understanding of the work that goes into making Y2Y successful.

One of the best parts of the summer shelter is that staff works full-time; I was present in the shelter most days of the week. Further, instead of the usual 30-day stays for guests during the fall and spring, in the summer, guest stays are for the entire season. The commitment of staff and the consistency amongst the guests allowed us to know the guests on both a professional and personal level and better address their needs. Moreover, as summer staff, we are provided with housing, food, and a stipend to support our work. As a low-income student, this funding was instrumental in allowing me to serve a population I care deeply about while not having to worry about my own personal finances. All staff lived and ate together on Harvard’s campus, contributing to the strengthening of our bonds.

At the end of the summer, I felt bittersweet; the summer flew by, and I was sad to see it go. I had accumulated beautiful memories from my time serving as the Case Management Director. Whether that was celebrating wins big and small, supporting guests through times of hardship, commemorating birthdays, binge-watching Hell’s Kitchen, the end of year guest-staff picnic, or the moments of hysterical laughter, I appreciated how much I had learned, both personally and professionally, and how I had grown as a service-minded leader. In my senior year, I returned to Y2Y as Case Manager with a renewed perspective and a deeper commitment to serve.

I highly recommend volunteering at Y2Y during the term or over the summer. Watch out for volunteer opportunities in the spring and the application for summer staff-positions. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out!