Toni’s Kitchen’s First Social Work Intern Helps Guests In Many Ways
One of the most important aspects of Toni's Kitchen's is the work we do to connect our guests to programs and social services that can improve their lives in important ways. Since last Fall, Toni's Kitchen has been fortunate to have our first social work intern, Angie Hoguin. Angie is in the Master of Social Work program at New York University. In her time at Toni's, she has provided weekly counseling and case management services to 9 individual guests. Angie created a safe and supportive space for guests to share their thoughts, feelings and ideas. She engaged guests using client-centered and strengths-based approaches, assessed guests' needs and collaborated with them to set realistic and measureable goals. Angie used a variety of intervention strategies to assist guests in progressing to achieve their goals.
With Angie on board, Toni's has been able to offer educational/support groups to our guests. She has facilitated three groups: a "vision-boarding" group (which empowers guests to visualize their goals, aspirations, and dreams), a "mindfulness" group (meditation in which a person focuses on being intensely aware of what they're sensing and feeling at the moment, without interpretation or judgment), and an educational/support group for caregivers of
children with disabilities. All were well attended and guests commented that they learned skills and information that they can apply in their lives, enjoyed having time and space for their own self-care and that they felt supported by their fellow group members.
Angie is bilingual (English and Spanish), and that has allowed Toni's to offer these services to our Spanish-speaking guests in their preferred language. In addition to the direct guest-facing work, Angie has assisted in expanding Toni's community-based resources so that we can make accurate and timely referrals/linkages for our guests. She identified service gaps, researched and identified potential programs and organizations to address them, vetted them via telephone and Zoom sessions with their leadership, worked collaboratively with them to develop engaging informational flyers and finally shared those with relevant staff and volunteers and interested and qualified guests.
Nancy Xenakis, a Toni's Kitchen staff member who is also Angie's practicum instructor, said, "Angie has been a true asset to our Guest Support Services in Choice Pantry–she has an innate ability to make meaningful connections with people from diverse backgrounds, is passionate about providing services to those who are more vulnerable and is eager to jump right in and learn new skills. It has been a joy to see her professional growth during her 8 months at Toni's Kitchen."
Angie says that she has enjoyed her experience at Toni's Kitchen and has learned a lot. "My time at Toni's Kitchen has been incredibly meaningful. I've grown so much not only as a social work intern, but personally, expanding both my clinical skills and deepening my understanding of community-based work. I've loved connecting with guests, listening to their stories, and collaborating with them on their goals. I'm so grateful to Toni's team for their support and for creating such a welcoming and inclusive environment. This experience will stay with me throughout my career."
As Angie nears the end of her internship, all of us at Toni's Kitchen thank her for her work. The impact she has made on our guests lives has been tremendous, as well as the useful community-based resources that she developed and shepherded in her time to Toni's.