My older sister worked for Section 8 and while I was in college, I helped out for a summer. I helped a very nice round Mom type, let’s call her Debbie. Debbie’s job was to handle “the list.” The list was about 250 one page applications that got shuffled up and numbered as a lottery so, once pull, you could then fill out the big application to see about getting a Section 8 voucher.
The vouchers were very valuable, as they paid a large portion of people’s rent and once you had it you could keep it year over year instead of going through the lengthy application process again so people were very interested in the list. Where they were and how soon till their application would be pulled etc.
People would call, all day every day, to ask and Debbie would put those people on hold, get on her hands and knees, pull out a long filing cabinet and she would go through the applications one by one to see if she could find where the caller was… The applications were numbered but not alphabetized. She would literally thumb through each one going “Karen Briggs, Karen Briggs. I think I saw her near the back..”
I was only in college. I was just helping out for the summer for minimum wage, which at that time in around 2000 was like what $6.00. Although I could not believe this women did not at the VERY LEAST make a list of the names there wasn't much I could do but subtly make suggestions. And the woman had done this job, this way, for years!! She was also very protective of the list coming out of order because apparently their could be some legal ramifications if that happened. I wasn't in a place to question Debbie’s List. She was protective, so I just joined in helping her finding Karen Briggs or whom ever else would call.
Well Debbie went on vacation. And while she was gone, I wrote down every name, added each person’s lottery number, and dropped all those names into excel. Sorted ‘em alphabetically. Viola! Our lives were saved.
Debbie got back from vacation and I showed her the list. At first she couldn't believe it. I showed her how it worked down on my hands and knees verifying it with the file cabinet. She looked at it like it was witchcraft.
When I showed her enough that she could trust the accuracy and prove the stack wasn't disrupted she was so grateful. Told everyone in the office how amazing it was and how much of a time saver!
But then I felt Debbie start to turn less than grateful. She used to lament the list every day!! She would complain to co-workers, the UPS guy. Hours a day I had given her back to do.. Nothing. The list was her purpose. I took that away and at the end of the summer, I’m pretty sure she was happy when I left.