by Cristal Pineda
Cristal Pineda
Cristal Pineda
A young girl is found roaming the streets on her own,
she is then taken to the police station to call her parents.
What the police can’t see is the bruising underneath her clothes,
the cigarette burns that were embedded by her father.
As they ask her to give them a number to call for, her hesitation is met by the policeman’s
doubting look. The police officer then asks the young girl if she prefers to speak with someone
about how she was currently feeling. She nods yes and in steps a Social Worker.
The school bell rings and the announcements come on over the speaker, a young boy is counting the hours until lunch time…three hours and a half to him it seems like an eternity.
His stomach is in so much pain, his hunger hidden only by the small cracker he found
in his book bag of yesterday's lunch. His teacher calls him up and tells him he is wanted in the office. Upon arriving, a Social Worker introduces herself to the young boy. She tells him she will be helping him with anything that he needs.
These are two fictional stories showing how social workers are truly the “Unseen Heroes” of our world. To me, being a social worker is much more than providing resources or emotional support to families and individuals. Social workers care deeply about the people around them. A social worker is someone who goes above all they are asked to do and sometimes even more, giving of their time, energy, resources, attention, compassion, and above all, love.
Some of us have met social workers who have had an impact on us in a very deep way. They have shown us there are still good people in the world who want to make a change in the lives of those they have the privilege of knowing or meeting. So to every social worker who goes unnoticed, I write these words from the very bottom of my heart - thank you for all the attention, compassion, and love you show daily to your clients and to those who you meet every single day. You are all my Heroes.
Cristal Pineda is a junior at Florida International University pursuing her bachelor's in social work. She loves to help and be there for her friends, family, and those who need her help.