In line with last week, this week I continued to answer constituent inquiries and take notes on the White House Task Force briefings. However, this week seemed to bring a preponderance of constituent inquiries that I could not answer. On the phone – sometimes for hours – with upset constituents, there were times where I felt frustrated myself in being unable to fully assist them. In the moment with them, though I was taking notes on their issues in order to pass them along to other staff members within our office who would be able to assist them, I wished I could do more.
I came to D.C. both for academic and professional purposes. It has always been my intent to use my skills and opportunities, privilege and potential to serve others. In working with Sen. Sullivan’s office, I am grateful to join others like me, similarly devoted to the public good. Throughout my time with the office, I’ve been proud to work with everyone I’ve come into contact with. I believe we do good work, and are able to help people who need it. With this, paired with my internal frustration, I felt confident that while I may not have been able to directly, fully assist the individual I was speaking with, our team would. No matter the issue, from PPP loans to EIDL loans, EIP questions to VA concerns, our team is amazingly equipped and perfectly suited to handle whatever comes our way. That being said, in being the first contact point for the individual from our office, I often wondered how were we able to end up helping the person who called in. With this question in mind, I was overjoyed to get a couple of emails this week containing constituents’ reactions to our office’s work. These were constituents who I had talked to, who had gone through various trials and tribulations, and who graciously offered their opinions on our work when talking to other members of our team. Sanitized of all other details, the reactions I was able to read meant a lot to me. It was nice to receive their thanks and know that we helped. That the work that we do helps people. That they feel heard. And that they feel supported. Especially in a time like this. Discombobulating and disconcerting, the coronavirus pandemic has upended plenty of peoples’ lives, not just my own. “Normal” hardly seems recognizable after months living in an altered reality. For many people who have called in over the past week, “normal” hardly seems like a possibility now. “Normal” represents a dream. Reality is much different. Yet, through our work, we might make “normal” a possibility again. The comments from this week attest to that. So I continue to work. To take notes. To listen. To support and to help. It’s not only my job to. Not only my responsibility to. But it’s my privilege to. I’m grateful for my chance to do so. I just can’t wait for more.
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Photo used under Creative Commons from Mike Juvrud