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    Learning Thru Community Svc (305) - Section S

    This week’s volunteer experience was great. This week we served beef with bell peppers, rice, beans and fruit. Alot of the seniors really liked this week's lunch. This week I noticed a huge decrease in volunteers but an increase in seniors. We started out with 5 volunteers and ended up with 2 this week including myself. So I was happy to be there to help in any way that I could. This week I ran the check in station. Here I checked in all of the seniors, passed out tickets for an event that we were hosting after lunch and signed up 6 new seniors for the lunch program. After these 5 weeks I got really good at understanding the check in station and signing up new seniors. This week was similar to the others; however with all the new faces we had, it shook up the dynamic of those who already had their “cliques”. They had new individuals at their table which was interesting to see. It took everyone just a few minutes to get comfortable, then eventually they were laughing and planning outings together. The most significant part of this week’s volunteering was our little farmers market that was hosted for the seniors of the lunch program. They got to play games for prizes and get fresh fruits and veggies. It went really well and everyone seemed pleased with the items they received. We had small watermelons, onions,strawberries, desserts, tomatoes, etc. It was set up just like a farmers market which everyone loved because it made them feel more comfortable to receive the free items. Everyone was mingling and “shopping” around and having a blast. It was great to see. After this week seeing the lunch program grow with the decrease in volunteers I’m thinking of continuing to help out the community. I really enjoyed my time at this site and made great friends along the way. Therefore volunteering will be nothing but fun for me and I love how I feel afterwards. However, next week will probably be my last week of being able to volunteer due to me starting summer classes; however I will look for other ways to service the community.

    Gave 4.00 hours on 05/24/2023 with The University of La Verne
    Learning Thru Community Svc (305) - Section S

    Service hours
    This week volunteer’s experience was smaller than others but still a great time. There were 19 seniors today. Many of the regulars were out traveling for graduations for their grandchildren. Though they were missed, the operation went as expected. Today we only had two volunteers including myself so my role in the kitchen was to serve and check in the seniors. This is great because I started to remember the senior’s name without needing to ask. This made a lot of them smile and feel very welcomed. Though it was only 19 seniors I still found my time useful and a great learning experience. This week we served grilled chicken,pasta, salad and fruit. Once I arrived we set up the room for lunch. We laid out the tables, sanitized them along with the chairs, laid a table cloth and added a vase of flowers to each table. Today we had documents to pass out, which was a survey on how to better the lunch program, an activity filled paper that many enjoyed and a flyer for a senior shopping fair. After that we waited for the food to be delivered so in the meantime I checked in the guests as they came in. When they came in I checked them in by name, gave them a placemat, silverware and a cup for drinking.After that the food shortly arrived and the preparation for lunch began. Preparation usually consists of checking and recording the temperature of the food once it was delivered. We then transfer it to the heating table or the cooling table depending on the state of the food. After the food was at its proper temperature I began serving all 19 seniors. After serving the guest I was able to chat around the room. Today was the first time out of my time volunteering at the lunch program where the food wasn’t a hit. The feedback received will actually be used to better the program. Today I learned that all the meals are evaluated after consumption. It is basically the program's way of making sure that the food served is enjoyed so that they can continue the program. After evaluating the food it is safe to say that the voices of the seniors were heard. One particular moment that stood out to me today was when this table of women who normally sit together exchanged gifts. One lady brought in these small cute gift bags that had polka dots on them. The bags were beautifully decorated and she waited for the whole table to arrive in order to pass out the gifts. They then proceeded to open the gifts at the same time and the table was amazed at the gift. I finally got my eye on the gift and it was a jar of pickles. They were so excited because they love the lady’s pickles. She is known for them and makes them herself. She hasn’t made them in a long time but wanted to bring something special for her friends. It was so sweet because she even proceeded to give a small speech at her table. Though I wasn’t sitting directly at the table I overheard her thanking the ladies for being amazing friends and how much that table impacts her life. It was so sweet because they felt the same. It shows that the ABCD method was present in our lunch program. The community took it upon themselves to give back to their community and resulted in bettering individuals within that same community.

    Gave 4.00 hours on 05/17/2023 with The University of La Verne
    The University of La Verne

    Service hours
    This week volunteer’s experience was great. There were 30 seniors today. Since I volunteer at the kitchen serving the aging community my role doesn’t really change that often. However, I still find my time enjoyable and a great learning experience. This week we served turkey meatballs, mashed potatoes, cinnamon apples and coleslaw. Once I arrived we set up the room for lunch. We laid out the tables, sanitized them along with the chairs, laid a table cloth and added a vase of flowers to each table.After that we waited for the food to be delivered so in the meantime I checked in the guests as they came in. When they came in I checked them in by name, gave them a placemat, silverware and a cup for drinking. I really like working at this station because I get to talk to every single guest in attendance for that day. After that the food shortly arrived and the preparation for lunch began. Preparation usually consists of checking and recording the temperature of the food once it was delivered. We then transfer it to the heating table or the cooling table depending on the state of the food. After the food was at its proper temperature I began serving all 30 seniors. Thankfully, I have a rolling cart that makes this part a whole lot easier and efficient. I was able to serve everyone within 6 minutes. After everyone is served I am allowed to sit and mingle with the seniors. It was amazing because there was one senior who seemed like she really needed to talk to someone. She was super isolated from the others but once I sat down with her she opened up to me. She explained how she now lives with her daughter and how it's been rough adjusting. This adjustment is hard for her because she feels like a burden to her daughter. She doesn’t like how everyone feels the need to tend to her. She misses her independent lifestyle. Cooking and cleaning is something she misses doing. She feels like her life is unrecognizable because she can't do what she used to do when she lived on her own. I think this is because her family is trying to take care of her in ways that she doesn’t need. They are under the impression that she needs to be tended to but in reality their mom is still capable of doing lots of tasks around the house. This reminded me of the TED talk in regards to single story telling. Hopefully she can talk to her family and communicate what her wants/needs look like so she can enjoy her life living with her daughter.

    Gave 4.00 hours on 05/10/2023 with Learning Thru Community Svc (305) - Section S
    Learning Thru Community Svc (305) - Section S

    Service hours
    This week volunteer’s experience was great. Since I volunteer at the kitchen serving the aging community my role doesn’t quite change that often. However, I still find my time enjoyable and a great learning experience. This week we served burrito bowls. This consisted of rice,beef, corn with pimentos, oranges, tortilla and fideo soup. Once I arrived we set up the room for lunch. We laid out the tables, sanitized them along with the chairs, laid a table cloth and added a vase of flowers to each table. I like that we do this because it makes it have a normal feel to the lunch rather than it feeling like “charity work”. After that we wait for the food to be delivered so in the meantime I check in the guests as they come in. When they come in we check them in by name, give them a placemat, silverware and a cup for drinking. I really like working at this station because I get to talk to every single guest in attendance for that day. After that the food shortly arrived and the preparation for lunch began. This is another part that I like because I get to work with a man named Frank who is an army veteran and senior who runs the kitchen. I help him take the temperature of the food and milk. We record that twice before serving to make sure it is at optimal temperature. This time we had an item that was not at optimal temperature so we heated it up on the stove and patiently waited for it to be at optimal temperature. In the meantime I served coffee and iced tea. During that time I talked to a guest who was looking to join our weekly lunch program. He was new in the area due to his senior community shutting down. He expressed to me how hard it's been in his new community compared to his last place. He didn’t have any friends yet since he just moved in and he expressed how the food wasn’t that great. So we let him know that he is more than welcome to come here and spend lunch with us. Just doing that small gesture he was in a different mood. He was so happy and felt so much at ease. He expressed how the site is walking distance which is great for him since he doesn’t own a car. He admired how we set up the venue for lunch and how delicious the menus looked. He was ecstatic when we signed him up and I’m hoping that this Wednesday I will be able to see him in attendance. My interaction with this gentleman made me feel like my service mattered. Not because I needed someone to thank me but because I got to physically see the impact. This was beyond rewarding and I’m thankful that there are places like my site that do offer these services for seniors. I say this because just like that gentleman there were others who were quite lonely and wanting a companion. A lot of them don’t necessarily come for the meal, they come for everything else that’s included. I get to see that when scanning the room, serving and interacting with the guest. Another thing that lit my heart up was to see this disabled senior . He comes in always by himself in this motorized chair and normally is the first ten people to arrive. He is a very quiet man however this last lunch a guest sat at his table and I saw a new side of him. He was smiling from ear to ear, laughing, holding hands and even kissing this guest. It was brought to my attention that they just recently started dating and they met at this lunch program. She comes just to see him and spend time with each other. Looking at them they were like two teenagers again. Both so happy and in love. This made me happy because my grandmother lost her husband years ago yet she never moved on. I sometimes wonder if she wanted to start dating again or if it was something she wasn't open to or even felt like it was a possibility. Those two remind me that love is always possible. No matter the age or circumstance.

    Gave 4.00 hours on 05/03/2023 with The University of La Verne
    Learning Thru Community Svc (305) - Section S

    I volunteered at the La Verne City Senior Citizens at the community center right down the street from the main campus. I am so happy that other sites fell through because I feel extremely welcomed at this site. I worked Wednesday 4/26/2023 at 9:30 am-12 pm and Friday 04/28/2023 9:30 to 10:30 to have a total of four hours. My job at the site is to serve seniors lunch that is provided from the YWCA. We receive a delivery of cooked food, take/record the temperature twice before serving, properly prepare it for serving and connect with the seniors. Before the food we serve coffee and iced tea. Once the tables are set up with the proper placemats we get to mingle with the seniors which is my favorite part. A lot of the seniors are retired and don’t have much communication with others. This is what makes the lunch program special because though they are there for a meal they also get to communicate and build relationships with others. A lot of them have great friendships and found things in common with each other. One thing that stood out to me was that one lady made these beautiful american flag hearts out of yarn. She sells them and every now and then she changes the design. She sells them for $3 and a lot of the seniors look forward to purchasing them. Seeing her interact, share and sell her yarn hearts was amazing because it gave her a sense of purpose along with community as her peers embraced her. This reminded me a lot of the coursework in this class because her yarn work was her asset based contribution. It not only helped her feel important but those around her as well. It allowed them to interact and form a relationship through that. It was great to see. One thing I will take away from this past week was to live my life as stress free as possible because life goes on. Life deserves to be lived and enjoyed so try to see the beauty in it. That was the message I got this week sitting at a table of 7 seniors for lunch. I can’t wait to see what the next week brings.

    Gave 4.00 hours between 04/26/2023 and 04/28/2023 with The University of La Verne