National Social Worker Month

How the Cambridge Dictionary Messed Up

social worker noun 

US ​ /ˈsoʊ·ʃəl ˌwɜr·kər/ a person who is trained to help people who are at  a mental, physical, economic, or social disadvantage

– The Cambridge Dictionary

Because March is National Social Worker Month, you might look up “Social Worker” in the dictionary, but don’t be misled.

According to Business Insider (September 13, 2013), the word “Set” requires a 60,000 word definition in the Cambridge Dictionary, but their definition of “Social Worker” above is only 18 words long. That’s comparable to defining Mount Rushmore as a large rock.

Social Workers are trained professionals who help individuals and families learn to cope with problems they are facing to improve their lives. They are world-class listeners who recognize the uniqueness and worth of everyone one.

When a family has nowhere to turn, a Social Worker will reach out a steady hand to guide them. When a child feels worthless and alone, a Social Worker teaches them how worthy they are and how much others care.

Social Workers aren’t rewarded with large incomes or glory. The rewards they look for are the eyes of a child who finally feels safe, a family’s new hope for a brighter future, or a parent who learns to hold their baby. It’s those rewards that make being on call 24-7, driving in a blizzard when they’re needed, and putting their own needs aside all worth it.

At Shelter, we’re privileged to have the best of the best. Every day they go beyond what is required to make a difference in someone’s life. You can find them at court advocating for a frightened child, or see them in their cars stuffed with blankets, toys, and teddy bears. You can see them taking a hurt child to the hospital, or hear them teaching a lullaby to a new mom. You’ll find them collaborating with over 40 local agencies making resources available to all who need them.

We can’t tell you how many lives have been impacted by our staff of Social Workers. Sure, we can tell you how many children are in our Foster Care Programs, how many children and adolescents are in our Emergency Group Homes and Transitional Living Program, and how many families we serve in our abuse prevention Healthy Families Program. But so many more lives are impacted in future generations once the cycle of abuse has been broken.

Not only during National Social Worker Month, but all year long, these special people have earned so much more than an eighteen-word definition.