The Justice & Diversity Center (JDC) welcomes Amanda Burton, who works at JDC’s  Homeless Advocacy Project (HAP) through the Lutheran Volunteer Corps (LVC) program. LVC connects full-time volunteers receiving stipends with nonprofit organizations to work towards justice. Burton learned about HAP while trying to determine the type of work that would best suit her interests and passions. What attracted her to HAP was its holistic care model that addresses homelessness as a complex, intersectional and multifaceted issue.

Of her experience so far, Burton says, “HAP has persistently fostered my passion and dedication for service and social justice.” As she tries to focus and define her professional goals, her time at HAP has widened her perspective and challenged her views of the world at large. It has also allowed her to work in several distinct fields, from legal to social services. But the best part about working at HAP for Burton has been the “inspirational, strong, and compassionate people” who share her passion for social justice and advocacy.

A challenge of Burton’s work at HAP has been learning to accept that she cannot help everyone who comes through the doors.  People often come to HAP seeking services that it does not offer, and sometimes it is unable to accept new clients due to over capacity.

However, this has taught Burton to understand homelessness as a structural issue and see that more work needs to be done to address it.

Originally from Minnesota, Burton is new to the Bay Area and enjoys the vast diversity here. She enjoys the open acceptance, as well as encountering people and situations that continue to help her grow as a person. In her free time, Burton is dedicated to building her LVC community by hosting house meetings and events. She also enjoys reading, writing, going on walks, as well as thinking up bad puns.

For more information about the Homeless Advocacy Project, visit www.sfbar.org/hap.