Niki began serving clients in 2008 and quickly became a standout volunteer. Her prior experience working with non-native English speakers and her background in Spanish helped her serve many Hispanic clients who were struggling to find resources in Spanish. Her warmth and persistence addressing client needs resulted in many clients specifically requesting to work with her and she was chosen to help pilot outreach at a local Evanston community school with predominantly Spanish-speaking clients.
With increased exposure to a wide range of clients, Niki thought she had a firm understanding of the Evanston community’s diversity. But after working full-time as a Summer Director in 2009, Niki’s round-the-clock client service introduced her to a greater number of client needs and dilemmas, as well as clients who never thought they would need to seek out social services. The recession’s impact was noticeably felt as Niki encountered more and more clients with significant education and employment experience. Niki says, "There are so many well-educated, eloquent clients that come to LIFT. It was repeatedly surprising to see that some of these incredibly intelligent and personable clients were unemployed or seeking public benefits."
Niki has always been appreciative of her work with LIFT-Evanston and of the opportunities she has been given to work with community members of all ethnicities, races, genders, and ages. She feels her skillset and professionalism exceed that of her peers due to having established close relationships with so many different groups of people. Her experience as a Summer Director pushed her concept of diversity even further. She recalls, "This July, as I sat in front of the computer helping a client with a professional degree learn how to use Microsoft Word, I realized, that there is no "cookie-cutter" example of someone unemployed or facing a life in poverty. I always knew that LIFT worked with a wide breadth of clients, but this summer, I have worked with an incredibly diverse group of people and it has been a truly humbling experience."
Niki intends to embark on a career in public service after she graduates, and is thinking of pursuing a degree in public interest law, but for now her focus remains solely on the impact she makes day-to-day with LIFT-Evanston. "I hope to make lasting impressions on the lives of our clients by helping them succeed, and by providing them with a friendly face during their difficult times. I want to set an example for other LIFT volunteers and engage as many new volunteers as possible so that LIFT will thrive in Evanston for years to come."
