Because of Fall Break I wasn’t able to volunteer at the Veterans’ Home last week. I was kind of bummed because it was the ice cream social which I really enjoyed working the first time. There will be more in the future so it’s okay. Two weeks ago we played black jack and that was a lot of fun. There were not enough residents at my table so I got to play with them while my friend was the dealer. We would help the residents make their decisions and get really excited when we would beat the dealer. Unfortunately I was not the best at black jack and lost. Good thing it was only for fun! After the game was over I walked a lady back to her room. She really enjoyed black jack and even won at the other table! When we got to her room she had me put her prize on her shelf and showed me around her room. I had somewhere to be so I felt bad telling her I had to go but when I did she hugged me goodbye and told me she loved me. It was really sweet!
I really enjoy volunteering at the Veterans’ Home and getting to interact with the residents but I also really enjoy the people that volunteer with me. It’s nice to be able to go and have a good time with people that are also students at Purdue. I am the youngest volunteer in my group so they all give me tips and help when it comes to college. Meeting them made things less stressful for me because they now give me rides and make me feel comfortable. This English class is what led me to the volunteering at the Veterans’ Home but I will probably stick with it even after the class is over. I have to miss volunteering again this week because of a math exam but I am anxious to get back next week! I will keep you all updated! (:
It is really cool that you are having so much fun with your service work! I understand what you mean about missing the volunteer time during Fall Break. I missed all the kids and their funny stories. I only volunteered one day last week and will only be able to volunteer once this week due to exams. Playing black jack sounds like it was a lot of fun and not stressful since the residents weren’t playing for anything. That is really cool that you enjoy all the people you volunteer with and I bet all their advice is really helpful. The lady that you took back to her room seemed like a doll. I completely agree with you about continuing to volunteer even after I am done with my hours for class. I don’t know what I would do if I stopped volunteering because it is a nice little break in the stress of college life. I also feel like it is good for us to be around people who are not our same age. I really like that our class got us involved with service work.
ReplyDeleteReading this story makes me realize that some nursing homes aren't as bad as some people say they are. My family is strictly against nursing homes. We refuse to put any of old elderly family members in one. Instead, whoever is too old to care for his or her self gets to live with a son or daughter or a son or daughter moves in to care for the parents. This is the set with our grandparents right now. They have a big house but are getting too old to take care of all of it so my aunt moved in to take care of them and the house.
ReplyDeleteI've heard some pretty sad stories about elderly people being abused in the nursing home and being abandoned by their families, but from what I've read here it sounds like the Purdue students are making sure the residents of the home fell loved and always have a visitor to talk with.
Erika, I completely agree with what you said about being with people that are not our age. I love Purdue and I love college but it is so nice to just step away for a couple hours and do something completely unrelated. I definitely use my service work as a getaway from all the stress. It is kind of weird because having to do service work in a way puts a lot of stress on me just because I have to find time and a way to get there, but once I am there it takes a ton of stress off of me because I forget all about what I have going on at Purdue.
ReplyDeleteJenaya, I think it is really cool that your family looks out for each other like that. I would much rather be cared for by people I love rather than nurses in a nursing home. I don’t think that nursing homes are terrible but nothing beats the love from your family!