I volunteered with three different organizations this semester--Student Community Service (on campus), Hilltop Convalescent Center (in Charleston), and the American Cancer Society's Relay For Life (on campus).
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| On my way around campus, I saw a squirrel that was following me by the bio. building! |
First, with the Student Community Service office, I picked up empty toner cartridges around campus on Thursday, February 23 for two hours. I then transported the empty cartridges to a recycling center. Since time is a major problem that organizations in general deal with, the two hours that I helped the school by picking up toner cartridges lifted a weight off of faculty members' shoulders. Not only did my help save time, but by taking the toner cartridges from certain places on campus that also saved a bunch of space for the faculty members' offices. It also helps to save the environment since I am recycling the empty cartridges when some of the faculty members do not have the time or knowledge of where the recycling center is located. I networked with other students who also helped with the toner pick-up, which was fun for me because I had the chance to meet other students from different majors and backgrounds. I had the opportunity to talk to faculty members on our journey around campus too. Although the conversations were short, I was still able to brighten some of the faculty members' days with a joke or just a simple smile. I met more than fifteen new people--faculty members and students--throughout the two hours I spent picking up toner cartridges. I probably would have never met these individuals if I had not volunteered. I had the chance to meet secretaries, building service workers, and chairpersons of different majors. I had the chance to speak with some of the individuals about what it is that they do on a daily basis. This opened my eyes at what kinds of jobs are on campus, and it allowed me to interact with individuals I would not have met otherwise. I had fun on my adventure around campus, navigating from building to building and trying to locate specific faculty members' offices. I enjoyed meeting new people and hearing some of their stories too.
Secondly, I called BINGO on Saturday, March 3 and gave prizes away to the residents at Hilltop Convalescent Center in Charleston for an hour and a half. Hilltop is a nursing home type of facility that cares for older individuals that cannot care for themselves in a home setting. Hilltop has nurses, activities directors, food service workers, and clerical assistants that assist the residents every day. Of course, though, there are residents that require less assistance with everyday tasks, but there are others who are dependent on the help from the workers. While at Hilltop, my main job was to give away prizes to the residents when they won BINGO. This was a blast for not only myself, but for the residents also. I had a difficult time maneuvering a cart of prizes when an individual won a BINGO because most of the residents that attended the event were seated in wheelchairs around small tables. I had to squeeze the cart (and myself) in between residents, and I did not want to make the residents feel uncomfortable or make them wait a long period of time for me to figure out how to reach the winners. It made me have a greater appreciation for my ability to walk because if it was so difficult for me to maneuver a small prize cart around a room full of wheelchairs and tables, then I could not imagine how difficult it must be for the residents who are confined in a wheelchair for the rest of their lives. It must be incredibly difficult for them to move around when they go to different places.
Moreover, I was able to interact with the residents while they played BINGO. It was fun to hear stories and jokes! When the residents are in an environment that is so structured and not many visitors come through the facility, it is a huge gift when they can interact with people like me. I enjoyed making the individuals smile when I let them pick out prizes from the prize cart. They really enjoyed it too. It was really nice that I had the opportunity to speak with the activities director of the facility. She was very kind and extremely orderly. She told me that it was difficult to not know what some of the individuals' needs were or how she can make their lives more fun and easier. I assume it is extremely difficult having to live in a nursing home because everyone values their independence. However, the activities director said that it is her job to make the residents' lives a little brighter by allowing for social interaction to occur and have fun activities in which the residents enjoy doing--regardless of their mental, physical, or emotional state. BINGO was an opportunity for me to reflect on the value of independence and mobility.
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| The Caregivers and Survivors on their ceremonial lap around the track |
Lastly, I volunteered at the American Cancer Society's Relay For Life for two hours on Friday, April 13. I went to several team meetings throughout the semester for Relay For Life to discuss fundraising techniques and information on new technologies and treatments for cancer patients. I also raised money for cancer patients. The money I helped raise will go to programs that the American Cancer Society has created such as the Road to Recovery, Reach to Recovery, Look Good...Feel Better, Hope Lodge, and college scholarships for those individuals who have been cancer patients. At the Relay For Life event on Friday, April 13, it started with a Survivors' Lap. It was a very inspirational time when all of the survivors of cancer walked together around the track and helped everyone celebrate the victories they have achieved over cancer. Caregivers of cancer patients were also recognized by walking together around the track. These individuals gave their time and love to support family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers who have faced cancer. I had the chance to speak with some of the caregivers at my time at the event and at some of the team meetings throughout the semester. I learned from them that the hardest part about caring for individuals that have cancer is that they never know what might happen. One day their loved one can look and seem rather normal, and then there are days when the individual cannot walk to the bathroom without help because he/she is so weak. It was amazing to me how many individuals are so passionate about beating cancer and raising money for research! There were a lot of social groups like sororities and fraternities at the event and plenty of people from Charleston too.
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| My friend Sara H. and I at Relay! |
I learned, especially from hearing stories at team meetings, that there are so many cancer patients that are severely disadvantaged because they do not know that there are places of assistance for them, such as the American Cancer Society. If one lives in a very small town where there are not many doctors' offices, hospitals, or American Cancer Society outlets, then the individual that has cancer may not receive the help they need. If one lives in a large city, though, he/she might have more opportunities to receive the proper care and assistance, especially from the American Cancer Society. The American Cancer Society has a lot of programs that help cancer patients and their families. They provide financial assistance, transportation to doctors' visits and hospitals, housing for individuals that require long hospital visits/treatments, and college scholarships. There are so many services that the American Cancer Society provides that a lot of individuals do not realize. The American Cancer Society is not just for raising money for cancer research--it is an organization that helps individuals in every stage of cancer. I enjoyed volunteering with the organization because I learned a lot about the services that it provides, and the money and help I provided will directly help individuals trying to beat cancer. My time spent with ACS has given me the opportunity to spread the word about the organization, and the money I raised will go to funds that directly impact the individuals suffering from cancer in the Coles County community.
-Sara Duncan
P.S. Hilltop did not allow me to take pictures during my volunteering.
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