Day 5: First Impressions

"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes" -Marcel Prouest

Welcome back to my blog! As of yet, I haven't been able to update my blog as often I would like, mainly due to lingering AP/final exams that have consumed most of my free time. That being said, now that those obligations have passed, I hope to add to this site more frequently.

In today's reflection I will be addressing 3 questions regarding my overall project and the first few days of work. I hope you enjoy!

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Who are the people with whom you are currently working? Describe your colleagues and the organization for which you are working.  What have you learned so far about the people at your project and the expectations of your project?

I work with 2 very different groups of people every day. There are the residents - which I will get to a little bit later - and then there are my colleagues. My mentors are Vicki Snyder and Kim Skerl. Mrs. Snyder is in charge of managing all volunteer services at Menorah Park as well as many other responsibilities around campus. Therefore, I do not spend much time with her and instead start every morning by reporting to Mrs. Skerl, who is the Activity Director and helps oversee each pavilion's (living area's) activity program and community-wide events. Yet, in fact, I spend most of my day with a variety of Activity Coordinators and Jackie, who runs the Creative-Arts Center. Each Activity Coordinator works in a specific pavilion (Beachwood, Shaker, Weinberg, Fairmount, Marcus, Freidman, and Euclid) to help run these activities and interact with residents.  I am often dispatched to different pavilions in order to help with these activities (such as bingo, coloring, transportation, etc). Additionally, I spend some of my time in the Creative-Arts Center with Jackie, helping with weekly ceramic and beading classes.

I have learned so much already and it's not even been a week! One of the biggest things I've had to pick-up quickly in order to reach the expectations is to be AWARE. In my normal life, I am used to just having to take care of myself (and I sometimes struggle even doing this!). So, when I am in a room full of individuals who often cannot take care of themselves completely, I cannot overlook small details that have potentially harmful consequences. For example, when you are transporting an individual across campus, you must ensure that their feet are pulled up off the ground so that their foot/ankle does not get tangled. Additionally, you have to find out how each person communicates: some residents cannot verbalize their thoughts articulately while some can. Learning how to overcome these barriers has been difficult but it is an essential part of this job. I have much more respect for the difficulty that all of my colleagues more endure every day.

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How does your organization affect the lives of others? How have you affected someone else while on project?

My organization tremendously helps the lives of others! Menorah Park not only helps keep residents healthy and physically safe through an outstanding nursing & aid staff as well as immediate access to doctors and life-saving resource, but it also helps make residents' elderly years pleasurable and enjoyable. Growing old can bring many hardships previously absent in one's life. Menorah Park helps minimize these obstacles and inconveniences and promotes that idea that everyone, no matter their age, deserves to have fun and enjoy themselves. It has been absolutely incredible to how transformative such small, seemingly insignificant gestures and activities can be in their lives.

I hope that all of my work is doing something to affect the life of someone living at Menorah Park, but I will discuss a few memorable moments from my time so far that have really stuck with me. Over the past few days, I have been working in the Beachwood pavilion, which houses many  low-functioning individuals. I have ended up spending quite a bit of time with one lady, named Ethel. Ethel doesn't say much and falls asleep often. But even after just a few short days of talking to her, complimenting her nail polish, and playing with her animated pet dog, every time I see Ethel, a wide, genuine smile spreads across her face. She grabs my hand and strokes it affectionately, signaling her happiness without words. Even if Ethel doesn't remember me in a day, a week, or a month, I hope my positivity has improved her day at least in the present. Another person I've helped in the past week has been Miriam. Because there are only so many people who work at each pavilion, residents don't always have the freedom to chose which activities they participate in. Miriam, a woman with very poor eyesight, loves art and coloring. Therefore, while Sue (Activity Coordinator) works with the larger group on a trivia game, I was able to take Miriam aside and color with her. She is an incredible artist, especially considering her limitations, and I hope that my volunteering has allowed her to pursue her happiness just a tad bit more.

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How were you feeling the first day of project? What were your initial expectations?   What were your hopes and fears?

On my first day, I was feeling super excited and only a tiny bit nervous. I had seen the majority of Menorah Park before on visits to see my grandma and had a pretty good idea of what kind of things they do. But, that isn't to say, that I was just a little bit unsure of how I would do on the job. On the first day I was really worried about taking a resident to the wrong place, giving someone something they aren't allowed to have, not knowing how to work with more challenging individuals, etc. My greatest fear though was that I would just be a bother to my colleagues. I didn't want to appear as a high schooler just serving in order to get to graduation. No, I really wanted to come across as a serious, passionate student who can make a difference and doesn't just get in the way. So far, many of the Activity Coordinators, Jackie, and Mrs. Skerl have been so welcoming and thankful for my work - a huge relief! I am even more excited now, one week in, than I was before starting my work. I cannot wait to see what is in store for me!