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Guadalupé Alcántar-Fukagawa has never suffered a debilitating injury. But, recently, she faked it.
She made believe she had been in a car accident and needed to set up a job, food, money, shelter and child care. Then, she called employment offices and social service agencies to test their responsiveness. It took her a total of 80 hours to arrange for the necessary services.
But the process could have been much quicker. Alcántar-Fukagawa documented her efforts, and she said the first 60 hours were completely fruitless. She was transferred from phone to phone and had social workers hang up on her.
“There are some good services out there, and if you know how to handle the system, you’ll be OK,” Alcántar-Fukagawa said. “If not, you’ll get lost.”
By undertaking the project, Alcántar-Fukagawa hopes to become a better advocate for her immediate family: her brother has chronic arthritis and her son has diabetes. She plans to continue her research and may, in the future, set up an organization to connect people with the appropriate agencies. Without the Reston Neighborhood College program, Alcántar-Fukagawa might never have uncovered the shortcomings within Fairfax County’s social services.
LAST WEDNESDAY, Feb. 20, about 20 people graduated from the eight-week neighborhood college. The group met every Wednesday over the eight-week period at the Reston Regional Library. They heard speeches from various government officials at the county and local level. Then, toward the end of the course, each participant explored a specific governmental program. One person toured a Fairfax County garbage dump. Another visited the teen center at the Reston YMCA. Then they shared their findings with the rest of the group.
Sponsored by the Reston Historic Trust, the annual neighborhood college is in its first year and is based on a similar program in Herndon. The goal of the college was to help participants become more involved with the community.
“It’s been enormously heartening to meet all of you from such different backgrounds,” said Sarah Larson, director of the Reston Historic Trust, at last Wednesday’s graduation ceremony. “I’ve learned how much fun, and how truly decent you all are.”
John and Yvonne Coleman, a married couple who signed up for the program together, said they learned leadership skills through the college. One speaker explained the parliamentary procedures used in formal meetings and others discussed the different levels of local government.
“It’s a little more complex than I thought it was,” John Coleman said.
For Yvonne Coleman’s final project, called a practicum, she interviewed some acquaintances who were formerly homeless and spent time in Reston’s Embry Rucker Shelter. She found out there are strict rules for shelter residents. If a resident is not working, he or she has to show proof of looking for a job. Residents have to be awake by 7 a.m. and have a 10 p.m. curfew.
“People don’t want to go there,” Yvonne Coleman said. “After coming out of there, if you have any sense, you don’t want to go back.”
KRISHNA GULLAPALLI, another program participant, spent a day at the Fairfax County Courthouse. He said different floors of the courthouse represent different segments of society.
“There is a rich man’s court and a poor man’s court,” Gullapalli said. “Go to the fifth floor and you’ll see developers and builders who are able to afford their own lawyers. But on the second floor, in criminal court, you get people who have to use the public defender.”
Gullapalli said the judges in traffic court are much more reasonable than he thought they would be. He saw several cases where a judge reduced fines or took the side of the defendant, instead of the arresting officer.
“Instead of going down there in crisis mode, you should stay calm,” Gullapalli said.
“I’ve been amazed how much I’ve learned, just from the questions you’ve asked about the community,” Larson said, addressing the group.