Graduation gift for a future homeless counselor?

May 14, 2008 9:43 AM

My sister graduates college this week, and I want to get her a gift that will be useful for her at work. She'll be counseling homeless people at various shelters and other locations in Washington DC. Besides pepper spray (our running joke), what are some practical gifts I could get her?

Price is not important. This will be her first time in the workforce, so some general work stuff might be good, but I'm at a loss for ideas. Also -- something that a mobile worker (i.e., without a regular desk) could use might work too.

I tend to buy her techie gifts, but that's certainly not a limitation. She's very stylish and loves trendy things.

Thanks for your ideas.

posted by scottso17 to shopping (10 comments total)

A really nice planner/portfolio might be good. It's not something she's likely to buy for herself and having one has been absolutely vital to my existence. Along those lines: Blackberry? PDA?
posted by GilloD at 9:45 AM on May 14, 2008

Along those lines: Blackberry? PDA?

That's what I was thinking. If she's going to be away from an "office" a lot, she might appreciate an awesome Blackberry for staying connected.
posted by Nelsormensch at 9:52 AM on May 14, 2008

Along the same lines as the pepper spray, what about paying for her to enroll in a self-defense class? You two could even take one together.
posted by kitty teeth at 9:56 AM on May 14, 2008

Hand sanitizer, card case, card organization case, clip board (a nice one but not the box ones), detailed city map, tiny phone book (if she'll have a car), umbrella (small collapsible), coffee gift card, lots of cheap pens that she won't care if she loses, good quality plastic file box (if she'll have a car).
posted by 517 at 10:50 AM on May 14, 2008

I think a nice totebag would work nicely. It would have to be durable and attractive, but not flashy. My friend who is a social worker tries to dress simply to remain approachable and relateable to her clients. I think a bag in a nice fabric (maybe a geometric print or a great color) would be a good "home away from home" for her without being too conspicuous. I like this bag, for example.
posted by classa at 10:55 AM on May 14, 2008

If you do get her pepper spray she needs to register it in D.C. otherwise she can get into trouble if she (knock on wood) had to use it.
posted by BobbyDigital at 11:16 AM on May 14, 2008

Homeless services case management generally requires a ton of paper work and agencies tend to be way behind the technology curve due to funding constraints so quite a bit of her case notes will likely be handwritten. A nice writing pen for her desk back at the office might be nice (even the most mobile team members have a desk somewhere, you just don't sit at it very frequently), though a lot of case notes tend to get written in your lap in the field and I would recommend taking as little of value into the field as possible. Organization is generally a pain because you have so many different papers and case files on you at any given moment so as mentioned a nice messenger type bag and organizer would be nice.
posted by The Straightener at 11:28 AM on May 14, 2008

SmarTrip card for the Metro.
posted by candyland at 12:30 PM on May 14, 2008

If she's taking the metro, and doesn't have an iPod, I'd suggest one of those. And either an iTunes gift card or maybe buy her some audiobooks.
posted by radioamy at 5:11 PM on May 14, 2008

A box of Pilot Precise v5 pens. They retail for $1.50 apiece but can be had in bulk for less than a third of that. Cheap enough to lose, quality enough to love. I've been preaching their gospel for years.

A yoga mat or some form of relaxation tool. Maybe a gift card to a DC massage parlor. Social work isn't the most stress-free of jobs.
posted by The White Hat at 2:37 PM on May 15, 2008