Throughout the community in which I was raised, many negative connotations and stereotypes surrounded the ideas of social service provisions, particularly such programs as SNAP and TANF. Many people in my community made the assumption that a majority of people relying on government assistance were simply abusing the system in order to get extra money. Judgments regarding the color, gender, and religion of these people also spread, resulting in racism, sexism, and other discriminatory beliefs and practices. The limited perspectives shown to me through news networks and magazines colored my own views of the social welfare system. After thorough observation of the DSS office in Verona, VA, however, I was able to reevaluate the expectations and judgments that I had been exposed to in my …show more content…
Locating public transportation routes and finding times to fit in with my schedule was extremely difficult, and would have been much more so without the aid of technology. Additionally, life stressors such as young children or a full-time job could make the trip much more challenging. Not only was the office inaccessible, but it was unwelcoming and sterile. The receptionists were strict and showed little compassion towards those asking for help, making an already embarrassing process so much more difficult. Throughout this experience, I realized how challenging the public service system is to access and use, resulting in frustration for many of those seeking help, especially for people with language barriers or disabilities. It was evident throughout my time at the DSS office that the social service delivery system was unable to provide the resources necessary for many of the individuals and families attempting to reach out for