It was blue! This was one of many facts and life lessons that we learned on our second day of service.
This morning, we made our way to the Emmaus Homes Corporate Office, an organizaion that provides services for adults with developmental disabilities. We were given a warm welcome by Ms. Chris Adams, the Director of Foundation Operations and Volunteers. She gave us a tour of the building and led us to the activities room where she gave a short overview about Emmaus Homes, including their daily services and how the organization functions. Emmaus Homes was founded by the Evangelical Church in 1893 and they serve adults ages 18 and up, with their oldest client who is currently 95 years old. Next, we were separted into four different service groups for the first part of the day.
The first group helped with cooking and the preparation of the St. Patrick's Day party for the clients later in the day. During the first part of the service, we assisted clients in a cooking class to make carrots, potatoes, cabbage, and cupcakes for the party. We also worked with the clients to create St. Patrick's Day table centerpieces while learning about the origins of the meal to be served. FUN FACT: corn beef and cabbage, traditionally eaten by Americans on St. Patrick's Day, is not acutally eaten in Ireland. Americans were looking for a cheaper alternative to an Irish meal. 'Merica.
Secondly, we had a group working on a filing project. We filed current and deceased/discharged clients' documents. Part of this project had been going on for 12 months and we were able to bring this year-long phase to a close. The oldest dated document was 1922! Our task was to organize the files to make them more accessible for viewing. We learned this was important and that all files must be kept for the Department of Mental Health. In total, we organized 33 boxes.
The third group volunteered to address envelopes in an effort to contribute to the fundraising efforts of Emmaus Homes. Emmaus Homes is funded 85% by the governmennt and raises the remaining 15% through fundraisers and donations. Part of the 15% is a letter drive, in which the company sends letters to potentional donors. The goal for this project is to raise $60,000. Our role was to address and stamp 725 envelopes to be sent out. We also learned that Mark, our learning partner, has exquisitie penmanship, which he learned between 1st and 8th grade.
Last but not least, we had a group drive to one of the 65 community homes to paint the interior of a house lived in by 3 of the Emmaus Homes clients. Our job was to lay tarp, free-hand the trim, and paint the remaining parts of the walls. We completed a hallway, living room, dining room, and a foyer. Upon completion, we were told that we were one of the few groups to complete a full painting project in one day. We also had a student from a local high school volunteering time during his spring break to join us in painting. We were impressed by his maturity and work ethic!
Other highlights from the first part of our day include the lunch provided by Ms. Chris Adams (our choice of Pizza Hut or Jimmy John's) and coming together at the end to complete phase 2 of the filing project.
After completing each of these tasks, we transitioned into the St. Patrick's Day party where we were able to interact with the clients by handing out festive tattoos, serving food, and engaging in conversation. It was a joy to meet many of the people we had served indirectly earlier in the day. Overall, we learned valuable tips about how to work with and treat people with disabilities. We were able to see that people with disabilities have full dignity and love to interact with others. They are very appreciative, inclusive, and accepting. We learned practical ways to interact with people with disabilities and we cannot wait to use them in our service tomorrow!
And that's the way the cookie crumbles,
Na'Sha and Mary Ann
No comments:
Post a Comment