Case Study: Senior Community Impact Project

During my volunteer hours I learned a lot about my own community I that I have not been able to experience. For example I have never been able to participate in so many writing programs and workshops in my local high school, this is because I also did not attend my own local high school because my mother did not allow me to instead, she asked me to attend a charter school. By partnering with LA826, I was able to attend different writing workshops where I would help different high school student write essay, cover letters, and personal statements. Furthermore I believed that most of my activities consisted of just being able to listen to some of the students.

Additionally, I volunteered with community programs focused on alleviating health care issues. For example, I worked with an organization that promotes community discourse on the unique, hidden health challenges of homeless and low-income women and girls. Not long after that, I volunteered at two events,

Volunteering at the Laurel nursing home was an eye opener for me. I had done volunteer work before but the one that inspired me the most was for Laurel Nursing Home. As a group from AP Fatheree Vocational Tech Health Science class, we would go to the nursing home whenever they would allow us to come. At the nursing home, we would come up with games and activities to play with everyone such as: cards, bowling, family feud, and karoake. The best part about volunteering there was seeing the joy on their faces as we all walk in. Our presence meant more to them then we all would have expected especially for the ones who rarely got visitors. Being able to sit and listen to some of the stories they had to tell was a blessing. Although, I learned

The San Marcos Senior Activity Center (SMSAC) began twenty years ago and their mission has been to provide social recreation, health centered, and educational programs that promote the emotional and physical well-being of independent senior citizens. The senior activity center is open Monday thru Thursday from 0730-1630 and Friday from 0730-1600 it provides recreational, social, and educational services to senior citizens age 50 years and older. The SMSAC services are free of charge and services the communities of San Marcos and Vista. It helps facilitate social connections, personal independence, and life-long learning that enriches the quality of life and supports the vitality for its seniors.

I’ve volunteered at a range of places of different causes. My time and experience with these charities opened my eyes to the range of issues that they were fighting and what people were victims of. But I also learned about different cultures and how some communities will respond differently

We have read community assets means to evaluate not only what the older adult offers the community, likewise, we must also consider what the community can offer the older adults (Greene, 2007). Utilizing older adults as community assets in socially engaged roles may prove beneficial by providing an opportunity to increase skills, economic status, education, and professional stature. It provides an opportunity to keep active enhancing physical health, gives them a purpose, increase social connections, and provide leadership opportunities. The aforementioned are examples and avenues to assist with aging well and how community assets are reciprocal.

My volunteer experience ranges far and wide, starting in 2013 when I first started volunteering for the Evergreen Cultural Centre as an usher during shows. This initiated the development of my communicational skills and courage to work with public. These skills were easily transferable to the most recent volunteer position I held at a YMCA residential camp in Gibsons, B.C. In this position I was responsible for children ranging in ages of 7 to 14 for 24 hours a day, 6 days a week. This opportunity helped me understand commitment and responsibility at a deeper level than most, and appreciate the value in teaching children life skills and values. Another important volunteer position I held worth mentioning was the 3 week long position at Pitt Meadows Airport.

Although volunteerism is commendable at all times, serving my community is not an activity that I pursue only to satisfy state mandates, club requirements, or even to enhance my high school resume, it is a lifestyle. Therefore, I am a dedicated volunteer at the Upstate Family Resource Center and have embraced a myriad of activities, however, none of which are comparable to the impact of providing childcare. Committing to Grace permits a fellow “Bulldog” stricken with a rare form of leukemia to recover from weekly chemotherapy treatments without the disturbance of his lovable but rambunctious baby sister. Volunteerism has been a strategic link to refining my communication and organizational skills. Effective communication with Grace enables

In August of my freshman year, my mother signed me up for Volunteer Day at the Children’s Care Hospital (CCH), a home for developmentally disabled children. My job for the day was to mentor a person who was then a complete stranger, but who would later go on to become one of my closest friends. The moment I left CCH that day I knew I would be coming back. This experience provided my first insight into what service can truly mean, and from that day forward I could not envision a future where I was not a volunteer.

With increasing age, maintaining health and functional ability is essential for older adults to uphold their independence and quality of life for as long as possible (Chen, 2010). Some barriers that interfere with older adult’s involvement in the community includes decreased functional abilities, physical health problems and physical frailty, fear of injury or falling, architectural or environmental restrictions, and lack of transportation or finances (Stumbo, 2015). Physical health problems and frailty can inhibit participant’s ability to be active, therefore, making it difficult to participate in the community. The study by Chen (2010) reports physical health problems such as gout, arthritis, heart disease, Parkinson Disease, poor eyesight,

This semester I was fortunate to volunteer at the Northern Virginia Family Services (NVAFS) head start school. NVAFS per-school is a none profit organization that helps families who cannot afford pre-school, and do not want their kids to be behind when starting kindergarten. The school is open from 6am-7pm (can be modified) because the families work long hours because they are of low income or single mothers. What I got to do was teach tennis to the kids and help out around the school. I was able to interact with the kids and their families. At NVVFS per-school I was not just able to understand what I wanted to pursue in the future, but also able to use my knowledge from my psychology coursework at Gorge Mason University.

Ashlyn’s high academic standards exemplify her work ethic just as her volunteerism reflects her dedication to community involvement. With volunteering being one of her greatest strengths, she uses her time, talents and enthusiasm to improve the community she lives in. She believes “volunteering promotes the well-being of others through truth and love.” Her service began while attending Irving Middle School as an aide in Mrs. Baker’s class for special needs students. As

Psychotherapy used in groups is one effective method for providing seniors with hope and gaining independence. A study of male and female group members, ranging from age 60 to 90 years old, of mixed races was conducted using “creative expression” as intervention. The use of poetry, art expression, and food were used to provide reinforcement for desired behavior (Bonhote et.al, 609). This integrated model combined psychodynamic, supportive, and cognitive behavioral approaches in development and group design (Bonhote et al.,609). Groups that operate as an open system are able to freely interact with their environment as well as other group members. In this approach universality joined members

Volunteering taught me how to empathize with the women who need more sympathy than most. Stated in this article, “Volunteering offers vital help to people in need, worthwhile causes, and the community, but the benefits can be even greater for you, the volunteer” (Segal).

Immediately my high school education was over, I took part in different volunteer activities before moving to the US. To begin with, I had volunteered for two months in one of the nursing home back in Kenya, where I helped the patients with the activities of their daily living. Furthermore, I also volunteered in one of the kindergarten school where I played and mentored kids before they were picked up by their parents.