Project Angel Fouls Part 7

 As a student of both psychology and philosophy, I pay a lot of attention to the whys. Working at Project Angel Food, a well-known Los Angeles nonprofit, has made me realize they operate from a “the end justifies the means” point of view. You may have heard this phrase before, but what does it mean? In my Philosophy classes, I learned this is a logical fallacy (invalid, flawed, error-filled) found in political Consequentialism. Linguistically, Affirmating the Consequences assumes the ending or result of something while also ignoring interferences. In syllagim form it looks like this: if A then B, it’s B therefore A.

For example: recently PAF is having a conflict with my Cesar Chavez Holiday benefit. Our Employee committee voted to have an extra Floating Holiday (8 hrs of basically vacation) on top of our already given one for the year. Thus, every employee would have 16 Floating Holiday hours. However, despite working on the Federal Holiday (my regularly scheduled day) I was informed that I only have 8 hrs of Floating hours because last year there was a glitch that didn’t put a cap on my Floating Holidays resulting in a -8 hrs this year. Despite this being their error and the fact that on my end it shows no request for this third Floating Holiday, they replied “At least you got paid” and “Legally businesses don’t have to give you Holiday benefits.” If (A) you got paid, then (B) you got your holiday benefit. It's (B) therefore (A). 

They are ignoring the fact that the pay app constantly has errors and that a holiday benefit is yearly. This can lead to a circular argument.

If (A) you used three Floating Holidays last year and you're only allowed two a yr, then (B) you only get 8 hours this year. It’s (B) therefore (A).

Again they're ignoring Federal Holiday "rules" to pay me less.

Another example: In our last Dispatch meeting our Supervisor addressed the ever-present problem of staff conflicts. She called it pride since we weren’t working as a team and to “just help.” She said we shouldn’t ask if it’s within our parameters/scope/department/wants; “we’re here to work so work.” If (A) the staff are not getting along, then (B) it’s their primary fault. It’s (B) therefore (A).

This assumes the problem is one-sided and easy to fix.

 If (A) staff just work as a team then (B) there will be less complaints. It's (B), therefore (A)!

This assumes that if staff just do this one thing, everything will get better. As well as ignoring that our complaints aren't about team members. Work culture is created top down.

It makes sense that a business would operate in such a way that they are not to blame. It makes sense that a business would justify their ways if it meant making (or keeping) their status (money and power). However, as stated above (and in previous posts), this is a nonprofit. We are for the people, made by the people. PAF time and time again seems to battle this ethical question: who’s important- the clientele, the volunteers, or the staff? When the answer is everyone; however, if the net is weak how will it be a good support? Yes, we serve a very ill clientele. Yes, we need to stay open because hunger never ends. But this does not diminish, rather demands the rights of workers. We need to be constantly reminded of our value just as much as being reminded of our mission.

The logical argument against our flawed one is dennying the consequence: A, then B. It's not B, thereforeLogical Thinking not A (Modus Tollens) Simply put, it is a logical argument based on deduction and noting the conditionals in either one or both premises. It uses the rule of Inferences. Remember correlation does not mean causation! 

If we run this through our two examples without first filter of benefiting profit over people we would change the argument possibly like this:

1. If (A)all Federal holidays are honored by PAF, there (B) is a benefit for Caser Chavez of +8 Floating holiday hrs by PAF. If there's no (B) benefit given for Cesar Chavez; therefore, not (A).
   

I am the only I have found having this problem so far. But others has expressed loss vacation and sick hours which runs in the same system.

2. If (A) the staff are properly equipped and supported with their conflicts, there would be less meetings about not working as a team. If there's no (B) decline in meetings about working as a team; therefore, not (A).

Just telling someone to do something doesn't imply they know how to do it. Although we would want to hire healthy employees, we can't be sure of people's coping mechanisms until the moment arrives. As leaders, will we model the teamwork we expect?

I have studied Principles in Nonprofits, Multicultural Issues in Human Services, Research Methods for Human Services, History of Modern Philosophy, Community Change in Human Services, Multicultural Psychology, and Philosophy of Social Work. I know some things. But by no means am I an expert. We all need to continue to learn and grow. I’ve learned that I can’t trust management at my job. I’ve learned that for PAF, “as long it takes” translates to “by whatever means it takes.” This might seem great, but it’s full of brokenness like the internal fallacies they’ve given sway to. So long story short, I’ve decided to go back to school in hopes of one day taking over my HR’s job…Do you think they’ll cover some of my cost? (It’s in the handbook.)

*For information on this logical fallacy here are some resources to better explain

Affirming the Consequences Video

Critical Thinker

Logical Thinking

Validity and Soundness

Project Angel Fouls Part 6

 Happy A(ngel) Fools!

As a tribute to this joke-filled day known as April Fools, I thought we could bring to light all the times Project Angel Food has brought tears to our eyes.

Let’s start with the relatively recent investigation conducted by attorney Drew L. Alexis. Mr. Alexis was hired by PAF’s Board of Directors after I wrote an email about concerns with Human Resources and the CEO. The concerns addressed but not limited to were-

• HR not assisting employees in understanding insurances/benefits

• HR implementing new policies or changes without properly informing all staff

• Using photos (for years) without people’s written consent

• Using employee’s first and last name (for years) on their website without employee knowledge

• HR delaying for half a year in giving two employees proper compensation for doing management duties i.e. Inventory, merchant purchasing, conducting discipline (one of which is still not getting paid)

• HR allowing severance pay to a fired employee who had sexual interactions with a minor volunteer-this same employee also threatened a staff member through texting which was never taken seriously (none of this was taken to the police)

• HR delaying the termination of a manager who was having inappropriate relations with two employees, verbally abused someone, and sexually harassed another by offering a dollar if they “danced for him.” 

• HR lacking the tools to de-escalate situations which lead to police being called several times to escort employees

• HR not informing department managers about the termination of their own employees

• HR showing favoritism by firing one person but suspending another for similar issues 

• A CEO who bluntly disrespects their workers 

• And a CEO who makes more financially than what is reasonable

It should come to no one’s surprise that only some of these were found to be “substantiated,” but all of “those facts did not give rise to a policy or legal violation.” I may not know all the laws, but I’m pretty sure the consent thing is a big one. Interviews were only done with some employees and of course Mr. Alexis never interviewed the two people who had physical proof of wrongdoing. It was all dubiously carried out in my opinion. The interviews were sometimes conducted while staff were under management’s eye. I had a coworker directly tell me that they were afraid of what to say since they knew their boss could hear. 

Let’s continue being humored, shall we:

• PAF continues to have errors in their computer systems causing there to be lost benefit hours and pay. Perhaps their auditor since 2017, Windes, could give them a helping hand…or even the new tech-savvy manager they hired in dispatch who seems to be adding more duties to their job description than originally stated (the other joke is that their job didn't come with a written out duty list)

• PAF continues to use vans whose doors have been so busted that sensors beep unceasingly while you drive or just fling open if you don't close them "right;" thus, causing fruit and meals to spill out.

• Our Dispatch Supervisor had assumed that all we needed was Clorox wipes for our vans, but after months of working there she finally entered a van to see the grotesque interior. She immediately hired a professional cleaning crew. 

• It was announced at our recent meeting that PAF offers tremendous discounts through a program giving us deals in electronics, movies, gyms, therapy, etc. This has been around much longer than anyone knew, but this was the first time HR was forced…I mean asked… to send us the information

• A recent coworker got into a very bad accident while on duty on a Friday and was told to come back to work from HR that following Monday. HR even argued with the employee’s doctor note that said they needed at the very least three days off. HR told the employee that those days included their weekend.

• That same coworker had major surgery last year and was relentlessly asked to work sooner than later. When the employee confronted HR about being more relaxed with a previous employee’s injury recovery time, HR stated, ‘That was then. This is now.’  

• A whole day was recently dedicated to reorganize, label, and count items in the freezer. Our Supervisor’s idea of attaching wood pegs to each cart to hold colored flags signaling FIFO (first in, first out) was immediately met with struggles that could have been avoided if better prepared. First, the peg attachment was too high for most of the staff to stick the flags in. Second, the peg holes were too small/tight for the stick flags. Third, none of this labeling system was discussed in detail with the kitchen staff leaving them very confused.

• Our driver phones that have clientele information accessible when logged into our app still do not have a lock on them despite this being a HIPAA violation and one of the cell phones already being stolen

• I had to tell this organization (that's a huge LGBTQIA supporter) that it was inconsiderate to write on birthday bags a person's gender, especially noting if the person was trans.

• It was such a big deal that PAF transitioned from using Styrofoam bins to blue insulated bags to transport meals in, but more and more drivers find it a lot more convenient to just put everything in boxes so that they don’t slide while in the van

• Numerous times I have heard coworkers know more about the operations of things than my direct managers. 

• I seem to be missing the punchline for why we’re required to wear hairnets and gloves while packing fruit when they’re already dirty from the previous people and packaging. It would make more sense if we cleaned the fruit for the client; thus, making the gloves necessary. But we don't.  

• I recently had to take two sick days, but with the amount of sick time I had it wasn’t enough to cover two full days. When I met with my manager about it, my accumulated hours were less than when I last checked. He called HR so he could understand how it was correct. HR then tried to explain all of this to me but stopped in the middle of it and said, “Ohh, wait..no, you are right. Something is off here.” After we agreed I would have both days fully covered I saw my check received only two hours for one of them. Again I reached out to HR who now undermined our last conversation and said there was a misunderstanding. Funny right? Simply hilarious that someone who lives paycheck to paycheck should only get two hours for a sick day when there was vacation time HR could have applied…

• And the best for last, even new hires are being told "There's this blog about us..."

I hope to have more gut-busting foolery as the year continues.

Until then, I'm hoping Attorney General Rob Bonta catches wind.

Share your stories today!

File a Complaint  

BPD & Christianity Part 4

 Technically falling under a psychotic diagnosis (thus seen more in Bipolar or Schizophrenia Disorders), delusions and/or hallucinations can effect those suffering from or even cause Major Depression which can co-occur with Borderline Personality Disorder. These delusions &/or hallucinations are not common nor are they listed among the world’s most diagnosed personality disorder’s (BPD's) nine criteria. Regardless those with BPD can at extremely stressful times believe/feel/hear & or see things that aren’t there. The common types of delusions are noted under Delusional Disorder. A BPD individual could experience these on a much lower end of the scale but none the less negatively effecting all aspects of their lives. It's important to note that the depression found in BPD may still look different from the root causes in other diagnoses due it's link to specific childhood trauma, attachment styles, and genetic factors. Delusions can involve believing someone is trying to harm them, betray them, or that their ego is extremely inflated, or they have a problem that no one ever can fix. Typically, due to a BPD’s fear of abandonment, feelings of emptiness, and not having a stable identity, the first two situations are more prevalent.     

(resources: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/9599-delusional-disorder, https://www.borderlinepersonalitydisorder.org/what-is-bpd/, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30169467/, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wtMUfDwrdg&t=2958s, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLh98L0WZog&t=552s, https://youtu.be/vF08wnUXCUo?si=YFQR1kBzX53dA3zR )

When I was younger, particularly when I was elementary age and lived in the furnished attic of these blue apartments, I recall a couple of times hearing my name being called by people who weren’t there. Once it was a woman, another time it was an older male. Since I never found their source, years later I chucked it up to being angels who were calling me. I used to see tall dark fuzzy black figures in my doorways as well. I had a tumultuous childhood, so I sank inward to protect myself. I remember being so afraid of the dark when I was a child that I would cover my face with the bed’s blankets even if it meant I couldn’t breathe well. I would also hold my breath so I could hear more accurately the trauma happening in the next room.

Becoming more aware of how my quiet BPD has revealed itself throughout my life has also made me conscious of how Christianity has played into my developing brain. Already by the age of nine I dissociated (showed signs of depression)...a lot. I am well aware that I can’t self-diagnose and in addition to not meeting the average age of occurrence for delusions (age 40+), I had 'positive delusions'-an abnormal thing due to my religious conditioning. I believed I had a loving and holy relationship with Jesus, God’s son, who died and rose again for my sins that lead to hell. Regardless of how I felt that this “gospel” brought me a “new life,” its teachings could exploite someone who already suffers from these types of Delusions: Erotomanic, Grandiose, Jealous, Persecutory, Somatic.

This belief that Satan was seeking to kill & destroy me

This belief that I was chosen by God to get my family back on track

This belief that I was called to be a missionary…to India & the USA

This belief of us vs. them, Christ-Followers vs. Heathens, “of this world, not in it”

This belief that I was actually communicating with God. I heard Him & felt Him.

These things were 100% true for me and I felt like nature confirmed it. But that was also just my context.

I understand that religion is so deeply embedded inside some of us that it feels like I’m trying to rip off our very skin. This is my personal opinion that there is no God. It is my opinion that at times this cult-like phanomenon can interact negatively on a already disruptive brain. My version of Christianity was all about intensity and feeling, urgency and contradictions. These indoctrinations from birth to adulthood perpetuated my already escapist-wired brain. My version of Christianity was like opening the door to the world of Narnia while I had been suffering traumatic events like our fictional characters created by C.S Lewis. Delusions often appear at the most stressful moments of our lives. They try to make sense of a world that doesn’t either by over or under-compensating. 

Christianity gave me a purpose and hope, along with the frightening spiritual warfare and hell stuff. For many years my religion was my safety net, my security blanket. It was all my family and friends mainly knew. This is not saying that religion creates delusions; it makes a myth made into reality and convinces conformity. I hold the tension of both the good and harm it did to my BPD. 

This also isn’t saying that my delusions have ended once I became an atheist. Today I still fear being alone or walking through my place, because I’m afraid of someone popping out to kill me. I freeze like a deer in headlights when I hear a creak in the night. My eyes play tricks on me and before I know it my thoughts of “someone is here” have convinced my heart to race. 

Why do I share this? I feel like the more I have come out of my religion and more into the humanitarian perspective, the more I think religion shouldn’t be forced on children. But who am I to say how to raise a child? When is it the right time to teach a young mind spiritual beliefs and why? Should we regulate religious meetings more? How do we recognize the effects of our core beliefs on our mental illnesses? I would love to hear your thoughts.

My “heaven” would be one where everyone would apply all the healthy coping mechanisms we need to raise healthy humans so that we no longer have to pay for therapy.