Nathan Parsons

Attended debriefing and final group session

Completed resource list, and provided detailed information.

Unloaded trucks, and stocked shelves.

This week I continued researching housing partners within the Birmingham Community. An agency that stood out to me was One Roof Birmingham. Located at 730 8th Ave W Ste 100, One Roof offers a Coordinated Entry (CE) program that allows clients to have a better understanding of services provided, while providing the agency information that can be utilized to identify needs and address current barriers to housing.

By applying the Vulnerability Index-Service Prioritization Decision Assistance Tool (VI-SPDAT) at entry, it helps to identify vulnerability and informs prioritization while shared decision‑making ensures that participant preferences, strengths, and lived experience guide housing and service matches. This combined approach aligns with best‑practice models across the Continuum of Care, integrating standardized assessment tools, and person-centered case planning.


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Today we unloaded diapers off the van and assisted shoppers.

This week I searched for resources within the housing community network. This gave me a better understanding of what resources were available in Birmingham and how these agencies differ.

The volunteer activity today helped develop community teamwork and collaboration. We worked together to deep clean, organize, and gather items for shoppers, but after reflecting on this a bigger purpose was revealed. By working together with other Blazer volunteers, it promoted a sense of belonging and community connectedness that exemplified "We CARE" values. As a social work major, it is imperative to learn and practice the principles of the NASW Code of Ethics. For example, in the NASW Code of Ethics Preamble it states that, the "defining feature of social work is the profession’s dual focus on individual well-being in a social context and the well-being of society."

At the nucleus of the Blazer Kitchen, it stands as a guiding light for what could be an individual's dark time experiencing food insecurity. As a result of the kitchen's steadfast approach to alleviate this burden on UAB employees, students, and patients, it is contributing to the absolute well-being of society. So, what started with scraping dried yams off the floor, ended with a newer understanding of community teamwork and well-being.