Devin's Agency Tour

Even though I have been working at Met Council for two summers, I have not been to all the departments nor have I met all the wonderful staff of the organization spread across multiple floors of our building. Last Thursday, I was able to take a tour of the rest of the office.

Though I’ve read my fair share of Met Council pamphlets and informational packets, there is still always more to learn from the employees themselves. I visited the home care training facilities, where Met Council has trained over 25,000 New York State certified home care attendants since 1986. Classes are offered in English, Russian, and Polish in an environment that attempts to recreate real-life experiences and situations. I was also able to see where Met Council operates its three homecare agencies from, and the people who make those agencies run efficiently and effectively.

Even more, I was shown through the Crisis Intervention Center-this place really blew me away. Helping anyone in need with social services, these social workers and volunteers do truly amazing stuff. Staff is trained to help in instances of family violence, legal trouble (including immigration issues), as well as families that go hungry, can’t find housing, or just need some help paying the utility bills. These services, both big and small, really make a difference in many people’s lives.

I was also able to stop by the Home Services department, with Projects Handyman, Machson, and Metropair. These services help families procure home furnishings and clothing, free handyman services for Holocaust survivors and other senior citizens, and allow the elderly to continue to live in their homes by retrofitting them to be safe and secure.

Our Strategic Planning and Capacity Building department aims to fight poverty using a different approach. Utilizing internal organization rather than direct service, this area of Met Council aids smaller groups in perfecting their operations, leading to better services and experiences for their clients.

Walking around Met Council’s offices, I was continually impressed by the dedicated and quality work that the staff here is doing. Every day, as I uncover more programs and hear more stories of charity and kindness, I grow more and more proud of being a Met Council Intern.