At my first Level II Fieldwork, Paris Healthcare, they had a "wall of praise" in the hallway. The wall was filled with recognition certificates that employees filled out about one another. The "Round of Applause" recognition could be given to anyone at the facility, whether it be a cook in the cafeteria, a CNA, a custodian, or even a fellow therapist. It was a way for the employees to highlight acts of service and kindness that they expressed towards one another. I chose to write my "Round of Applause" to my supervisor, Amanda. By seeing her name on the wall she felt uplifted. This was a simple, yet powerful, way to show my appreciation and empower my team members.
At Greenhouse Ministries, we partner with many different community organizations and non-profits in order to meet our clients' needs. One of the non-profit organizations is Amelia's Closet. Amelia's Closet provides women with outfits free of charge to go on job interviews and to dress professionally in the workplace. They focus on empowering women to be successful by providing them with professional clothing and interview tips. The picture to the left is a collage of before and after pictures of clients. It was amazing to witness the visible increase in self-confidence once the women put on business attire. Our role at Amelia's was to administer a self-esteem assessment. Every client that I assessed scored higher after seeing themselves in professional attire. It is astonishing that something as simple as changing an individuals clothing can make a significant impact on how they view themselves.