The Context
I teach yearly Enneagram classes to disadvantaged women in non-profit transitional residential housing programs in Houston, Texas in the following programs:

Brigid’s Hope, a program that provides homeless women coming out of Texas prisons and jails with transitional housing, mentoring, spiritual support, and coordination of resources.

Project Row Houses, a program for single women between 18 and 26 with two children. Designed to help preserve community, this program addresses housing and related community and economic development needs by providing low-income rental housing. PRH is founded on the principle that art-and the community it creates-can be the foundation for revitalizing depressed inner-city neighborhoods.

Later this year, I will be teaching the Enneagram at the Women’s Center as part of a spiritual program. The organization’s mission is to improve the psychological, career, financial, and legal well-being of women and families based on their ability to pay.

Because I do not charge for these classes and the organizations have minimal budgets, Ginger donates the tools for free for these classes. Each request for tools is evaluated by the organization’s ability to pay, their mission, and the fee for teaching the class. Sometimes, there will be a small cost for the tools based on the above conditions.

The class participants are more self-aware than those in my other classes. Since they know each other well and are comfortable being self-revealing to the group, the classes have an energy that matches your passion for teaching the Enneagram. You learn from them and they learn from you. These classes are the best teaching experiences you can ask for.

Examples
I had a Two who was overcome with relief when she learned about her type. It validated the work she has been doing for herself and reinforced she was on the right track by taking care of herself more. It made it all so much clearer. The Eights are always blown away by the Central Paradox for their Enneatype: “I want acceptance for myself, including my vulnerabilities, but I act so strong, independent, and in-charge that people rarely perceive me as needing their support.” The powerful mask always disappears when they read it. When a Seven was doing a Feedback-Enneagram exercise with a Six, they all got excited and started helping with the exercise. I had a One who wanted to be an Enneagram teacher after the classes. They all saw the value of the Enneagram in so many ways and could see it in each other. Race, sex, and age do not matter anymore. We are all connecting at a human to human level when we do this work. I think I took away more than they did.

Here are some of their direct expressions of gratitude:

“I have never learned so much about myself and friends and loved ones. And I am very excited about learning more about being a great ‘4’”

“The Enneagram held up a mirror for me to view the hidden self within!”

“The workshop was amazing; the tools are fantastic because they bring the information alive in a way that makes sense and is practical.”

“I’ve been running around trying to diagnose myself [a 7] and others with numbers and wings. I love it.”

“The workshop and tools have enhanced my social and personal growth. I am better.”

A call to action
I encourage you to consider doing some volunteer Enneagram teaching. Most of these women (or men) will never be exposed to this wonderful material except from people like us. Life has dealt many of them a bad deck and they have had few mentors in their lives. They are motivated and the Enneagram can help them develop skills needed to do well in a job and in their personal lives. Most have children who can benefit from the mother’s new insights, as well.

To get free or discounted training tools for pro-bono, non-profit Enneagram work
I am Ginger’s liaison for non-profit tool discounts. To find out if a class qualifies for free or lower cost tools, please contact me directly. I will also be happy to pass on some tips I have learned about being more effective with these communities.

To read more about how The Enneagram in Business integrates Community Service, as well as to read Case Studies, click here.

Judy Wilbratte is an Enneagram teacher who works with profit and non-profit organizations, a past IT director, and a Senior Member of the Enneagram in Business Network. She can be reached at info@the9types.com or 713.410.7123.