Crisis Pregnancy Center (By:Sieda Felder)

I completed my volunteer work at the Crisis Pregnancy Center of eastern Illinois University. This center provides services to women of all ages who are or think they may be expecting an unplanned child. I will be completing my internship with this organization during the spring semester of 2013 and I took this volunteer opportunity to learn more about some of the task I will be completing while there. The CPC of EIU is located on 260 W. Locust Ave in Charleston IL and is one of four centers that are in central Illinois. The other three centers are located in Mattoon, Casey, and Paris. I completed my volunteer work over the course of two days, October 16th (3 Hours) and November 6th (3 hours). I worked under the centers organizers Jessica and Anna and learned how a typical day goes in the center and also about some of the services and programs that are offered through CPC.

 

The Center is a Christian based organization that does not advocate abortion or adoption but will provide woman with information about each subject for those who are considering either option. It is estimated that over 75% of women faced with unwanted pregnancies and who are considering abortion will reconsider after seeing an ultrasound of the unborn child, this fact alone is one of the reasons that the CPC offers free ultrasounds to clients for the first four months of pregnancy. Other services that are provided include free pregnancy test, counseling for women and their families, and also a program to help expecting mothers learn about caring for their children while earning items for their child.

 

While volunteering, I compared many of the aspects of the CPC to the topics discussed in the Disadvantaged families’ class. Jessica and Anna explained to me that many of their clients are women who have low-income and also teen mothers who have little support or financial help from their parents or the father of the child. This factor places many of the mothers and their future children at risk for being disadvantaged.

 

While completing the volunteer work, I gained experience that I need to successfully complete my internship and I also received the opportunity to meet and become acquainted with my site supervisors Jessica and Anna.

Volunteer assignment

Arica Moss
1. For my volunteer assignment I did my time at my church, Stonecreek in Urbana Illinois in the Children's ministry on Sunday mornings.
2.The service that I did reflected many concepts that I learned while taking FCS courses at Eastern Illinois University. The main thing that I learned was that we need to meet people where they are at, and encourage them to strive for more. A lot of times people do not receive help because they do not know that it is available to them. This happens in churches, just like in communities. My church has so many things to offer families and we try to use that Sunday morning experience to educate them on some resources.
3. Every time I volunteered I met some new people. I had to talk to people and be friendly. Doing this helpled me to learn that I was in the midst of so many professionals, and families in need. You cannot look at someone and tell what profession they are in. I met a Doctor at the local clinic. She shared with me that they would be having a flu clinic coming up in the near future. Because I am always "working" I passed this information on to other families. I was also able to help some families get signed up for "The Big Give" that my church does every Thanksgiving by making sure families have a decent meal that day. Another lady I met actually runs the Girl Scouts program at my daughters school, which was awesome for me because we are interested in this! To be honest I did not use to be a big fan of networking until last year when I had to go to a job fair for class. I never really felt the need. However, now that I work in Family Services I'm ALWAYS trying to link my families with resources that can help them. What I gained from this experience is the fact that no matter where you are at, you can be networking with other individuals. You never know what they have to offer, and you never know what you can offer them.
4. This type of volunteer work is so crucial to the community and families. Our Children's ministry serves children 6 weeks through college. There is something for everyone. This is a place where the whole family can come and get spiritually full. Also my church does so many things in the community. It does not just limit it's help to members of the church. The Children's ministry helps families to enjoy the church service, or class that they are taking at the church, while thier children are being well cared for.
5. I really enjoy volunteering. I encourage my children to volunteer also. I usually volunteer with the older children, but for this time I worked in the nursery with the infants and toddlers. It was so much fun! I am a Christian and have been for years. I do remember how frustrating it was for me as a new mom sitting in church trying to entertain a toddler. It was horrible. This is why I am thankful that I have the opportunity to make someone else's experience better.

Project LINK - Body Electric

1.1. I volunteered where I did my internship this summer. I volunteered at I Sing the Body Electric at Sarah Busch Hospital. Julie Meinhart is my advisor and I’ve grown very fond of her since working with her in June. I am glad that I was offered the position in the summer and I am glad that I have kept in touch with her since.

2.      2.The service activity reflected concepts learned in FCS 4820 because I was working with disadvantage teens. I mean that in a way that these teenagers had gone through a lot with eating disorders, pregnancies, drug use and loss of a good friend through texting and driving or drinking and driving. Most of these teenagers have been through some things that I feel like I may never have to experience. This related to FCS because I was able to provide the right responses and right information to the questions they ask me and the advice they wanted. However, this was completely new to me seeing as I worked with children in play camps over the summer so this was a huge eye opener. These teenagers work on art projects through Body Electric and build and create such compelling pieces of work that I feel that they have built the resilience to deal with what they go through on a day to day basis. 

3 3.  As previously stated, I have kept in touch with Mrs. Meinhart throughout the year and my relationship with her has been building since. Through her, I was able to interact with principals, teachers, parents and other workers through the Sarah Busch network. Because of Julie, I was able to jump start my career in nursing.

4.     4.  The effect that this program has on the community is astounding. It is a great way for teenagers to get the word out about certain dilemmas and it is nice seeing it on a personal standpoint. We see all these commercials about the experiences the teenagers face that I stated earlier and we turn our heads. When they make their works of art, their so captivating that it comes to the point that you wish you saw this on the commercials. This activity is already making a huge impact on the community and I hope that impact only grows more. 

5.    5.   I absolutely love volunteering with I Sing the Body Electric and I am really thankful that I was able to work with the high school students this time. Don’t get me wrong, working with the children at camp was a lot of fun, but working with the high school students was a deep level of connection. I enjoyed being able to ask them what their artwork is about and talk to them about it. I feel like a lot of them have come to terms and accepted the closure and it is therapeutic to them to talk about it. I am doing this again after winter break and I cannot wait to get back. 

Mallory McEldowney

Camp New Hope

1.       I volunteered with Camp New Hope in Mattoon IL.

2.       In class we learn about a lot of different ways a person can be disadvantaged. The group of people I worked with at Camp New Hope suffered from a multitude of different mental illnesses as well as behavioral problems. The campers all come from different backgrounds and different support systems. Some of them stayed home with their families while others lived in group homes from the surrounding areas. At camp new hope I had to be unbiased towards the campers and treat them like I would any individual with or without a disability. This volunteer opportunity required me to interact with these individuals by playing games with them, singing, dancing and creating art projects.

3.       The experience I got from this volunteer exercise will allow me to be more diverse in my job field. I networked with people who work in the health field, other FCS students and most of all the families of the individuals with disabilities.

4.       Camp New Hope is very beneficial to the community of Charleston and Mattoon and the surrounding cities. They offer a lot of different activities for the campers and it allows the family members and support staff of these individuals a break from their everyday caregiving responsibilities.

5.       I really enjoyed this assignment because I love to give back to the community and I’ve done a lot of volunteer work on my own. This  particular organization/program is near and dear to me because I work with individuals with mental, physical and behavioral disorders.

                                                                                            

                                                                                              Shanell McDonald

 

 

November 6 Elections (Registering To Vote) by Ashley Johnson

During election time I volunteered with Student Government. My job was to register students to vote in the 2012 November elections. I volunteered to do this for five hours over a two day time period. I found out about this volunteer opportunity from a Black Student Union meeting that I attended. A representative from Student Government came to the meeting and explaining a great opportunity to get involved on campus with registering students to vote. I decided to sign up to volunteer right on the spot. Then I had to attend a Student Government meeting and listen to a representative from the Charleston Courthouse explain how to register the students to vote. 

Volunteering to register students to vote makes sure that everyone takes advantage of their right to vote especially for women. Also it gives everyone a chance to help people that are poor, on financial aid, those who are illegal immigrants, etc. Depending on how a person votes and who they are voting for can determine rather or not students will continue to receive the financial aid that  is needed, or rather the wealthy or middle class will have to pay more in taxes. It also determines the right to marry for gays and lesbians, and rather or not people will receive their pensions in the future. Registering to vote gives everyone a voice. Not only does registering to vote affect the United States as a whole but also local communities and states because their not only voting for the next President, but also for local and state representatives . Going to the Student Government meeting made me realize that even on campus students have a voice. It seemed as though only faculty and staff has a say so in what happens on campus. I was wrong. At the meeting I heard talks about all types of issues that students on campus felt needed to be addressed. The most popular talk seemed to be about what to do about the Chick-Fil-A situation. 

The one thing that I gained from this experience is that everyone has their own opinion of the election. I already knew that people had their own opinion but some of the opinion that I heard were very interesting and some just didn’t make any sense. Getting people to realize that there vote does matter and they should register to vote was one of the main things that I gained from this experience because, as I was trying to educated others they were educating me. The first time I voted I did not understand the point in going through registering to vote when I felt like my vote did not matter but in the end I realized the importance. I wanted to student to realize the importance in voting and at the same time it made me want to learn more about the voting process.

Overall this experience was really great. It is something that I had always wanted to do. I always either wanted to work the polls or register people. I met a lot of interesting people. I learned that not everybody’s opinions I have to agree with and don’t expect others to know just as much information as you know. I hope that I am able to register people again to vote.

1. I volunteered my time at an in home daycare facility in Urbana, Illinois.  This lady's name is Val, I actually went to her when I was growing up, from the age of five until I was in fifth grade.  Val takes children from all types of backgrounds.  When I was growing up she took care of a lot of different children, even when you didn't have enough money to make the full payments. She made sure she set up a payment plan or something so that your child or children could still come to her house and be under her care.  

2. How this related to FCS 4840 and other FCS classes is because you learn all about people who aren't as well off as others and  I feel like going and volunteering at this daycare facility has really opened my eyes up to a lot of different things that has to do with childcare.  I didn't know there were such nice people in the world, that would be willing to help people that needed childcare and didn't have that much money to pay for it. Also when I took the administrations in child care programs class I learned how much childcare really is and to certain people it is nothing at all but to others that can barley make it from pay check to paycheck it is very hard to pay for childcare.  I feel like what Val does for people is something that more people should do because when you can't pay for childcare then what are you suppose to do with your child/ children.  This is when things happen like children get left alone and have to take care of themselves or they get put with people who aren't really watching them carefully. 

3. I think I gained a sense of trust, care, love and desire. I would defiantly do something like that if I had the money to do so, where it wasn't going to hurt me financially. I think that the children at that facility get a good sense of love from people that take care of them, and are willing to do things that are so nice to them.  A lot of people and children don't get that from people now a days but they need it, to show that they are nice people in the world.

4. I pretty much put that question into my other questions and answers.  I feel like what Val does for people in the community is something really nice, I don't think I know of anyone else in the Urbana area that is willing to make payment plans and still take care of a child for most of the day.  Most places I know you have to pay up front and all at once to even have your child enrolled there.

5.Again I kind of put my reflections and reactions in my other answers, I just really feel like what she dose is something that a lot of places should do, because a lot of people in the world need help and with someone being so nice and willing to take really good care of your children is something that is really important.  I went there and I loved it, there was never a day that you were bored or didn't go do something.  So if anyone ever asked where I think they should take their children I would defiantly recommend her and give her a really good word because shes such a great person.

Sara Hansen

Winchester House

                                                                                                                                            Jordan Romeo

1.     I volunteered my time at the Winchester House in Libertyville, Illinois. The Winchester House is a nursing home for adults that are aging, have disabilities, and a place to call home. People living in this residence are there for independent living and respite care. Some medical services that are provided for the patients are cancer care, dementia care, and rehabilitative care. Some amenities that are included while living in the Winchester House are two bedroom units, beautician, dietician services, exercise programs, gardens, massage services, and religious services.

2.     As we learned in class, the elderly make up 13% of the population, which is expected to double in the next 25 years due to the baby boom generation. Going to the nursing home, I finally realized that there is no clear-cut threshold for becoming the elderly. There were extremely different people in the nursing home that were all across the border when it came to their age and reason why they chose the nursing home. Although most of the patients were at the chronological age of being considered an elder, some people referred to themselves as the elderly due to their medical and mental profiles, which I did not consider when I first volunteered my time. A lot of the patients in the nursing home were wheel chair bound, which makes them disadvantaged. Over half of the elderly have a documented disability, while at least 40% have activity limitations. While I was there, I spent my time helping the staff fold patients’ laundry. When I first walked in, I was hesitant when deciding if I would ever put my parent’s in a nursing home. After I walked out, I felt extremely better knowing that if I ever did decide to put my parents in a nursing home, they would be in good hands. There are times in nursing homes when we see the elderly get abused, which is why I was so hesitant. Some people have bad perceptions of the elderly, so they are not only emotionally abusive but also neglect and abandon them. One positive thing I noticed about the Winchester House, is that the nurses help feed their patients. Lots of programs help seniors with food needs, but food unavailability is not the only issue the elderly are faced with. Lacking the ability to prepare and eat food is a major concern when it comes to seniors. I think it would be considered abusive if a nurse knew an individual wasn’t eating and wasn’t there to help him. The nurses make sure the patients eat their food and are satisfied after. They will do anything to make sure their patients are happy and well taken care of.

3.     As soon as I got there, I started to network with the director of Winchester House. When I was helping the staff fold laundry, I started asking questions about their services. I asked the staff not only medical questions about insurance, but I also asked them what activities they get their patients involved. The last question I asked was what a normal day of a nurse would look like. The director and I were talking about what my major was and the career options that could come from it. I told her that I was interested in going back to school for nursing once I graduate. The director mentioned working with patients in a nursing home, which I never imagined, but from this visit I would definitely consider this option. From networking with the director and staff, I got a better understanding about the services they provide and a career direction.

4.     The Winchester House has a positive effect on the community. It provides a place for elderly individuals to have their medical needs met, and also a place for them to interact and socialize with people their own age. It allows the elderly to have someone sit down and give them the help and attention they need, that they might not get at home. The nursing home also provides a safe environment for the older adults, no matter if they’re able to live on their own or not.

5.     I found this project very rewarding and a new career direction that I might take on. I liked helping the patients with their daily needs. Some tasks were simple, but there were others that were quite difficult. I have a total different opinion about how I feel about nursing homes and the elderly in general.

Charleston Transitional Facility

1. My volunteer work was done at Charleston Transitional Facility, also known as CTF. CTF is a non-profit organization dedicated to the assistance of individuals with developmental disabilities. The administration and staff at CTF assist their residents with daily living tasks and help them do for themselves to the best of their ability. The residents of CTF have various levels of cognitive functioning. I volunteered in a home setting where the residents had very low functioning and needed direct assistance with every daily living task.

2. Our course is called The Disadvantaged family. I closely observed the behavior and actions of the residents as well as the staff at the home, and they are a family, not by blood relations, but the manner in which they respond to one another. Some individuals have been roommates for decades. They all interact with each other no matter how high or low their cognitive functioning is. They all have their own personal issues and one that I noticed was their desire for attention. Some residents may use maladaptive behavior for a response from staff or even other residents. Many of the individuals come from backgrounds of all forms of abuse. There are also some staff members who have been there for many years and have developed a rapport with each other as staff as well as caregivers to the residents. Each and every individual is at a disadvantage in their own way. In many class sessions we've discussed the many ways in which an individual is discriminated against. It just so happens that the individuals in the home were all older women with physical and cognitive disabilities. This puts them in three categories of people who face to highest amount of discrimination; being elderly, female, and disabled.

3. I briefly spoke with the supervisor of the home and she gave me some background information on the residents, but nothing in breach of confidentiality. I told her that I was a Family and Consumer Sciences major and that my passion is to assist and uplift individuals in any way that I can. I asked her about career opportunities as well as advancements at CTF. She informed me that there is a chain of command of supervisors, case managers, administration, etc. Each position requires an amount of experience and/or education. I was told that if I was interested in the field of work that I should go to the main office building of downtown Charleston. 

4. CTF provides individuals with care who either would not survive without direct assistance, or has the potential to be very menacing to a community due to their disability. Many of the higher functioning residents have issues that can be very severe without the medication and stable environment that CTF provides. The severely disabled, whether mentally or physically, are a forgotten category of people to most of the world. The funding of programs to help these individuals is not a priority. CTF ensures that these people are not on the streets and that they receive adequate care.

 5. We all have our personal issues. We look at others lives and glorify them for having money or being famous and we wish that our lives could be just as glamorous. We see the surface and not the underlying issues they may have. Every individual has problems that are exclusive to them. This service, as well as many other people I cross paths with, makes me take the time to be thankful of my standard of living. Its not the greatest, but I could be a wheelchair bound, mentally disabled, incontinent person, with many other limitations in life. Observing these individuals was definitely a humbling experience and makes me more sensitive to the issues that concern disabled individuals.

Project Link: Girls on the Run            By:Madeline Mioni

1. I volunteered for Girls on the Run on Saturday, November 10th at the YMCA in Mattoon, Illinois. This is a non-profit learning program for girls from 8-13 years of age. It encourages young girls to get out there and run. The point of Girls on the Run is to help pre-teens develop a positive self-image of them. Three weeks before the run took place my sorority and I made necklaces. These necklaces were medallions placed in a bag and in the bag there were notes attached saying, good job, congratulations! My job was to hand out the medallions and cheer the girls on when they crossed the finish line. For these girls to go out there and run a 5k race is amazing. 

2. This service is related to FCS 4840 and other FCS courses because; it is talking about being disadvantaged and helping pre-teens to go down the right track in life. Also, so they do not get caught up in the bad things that society has in it. Girls going through there pre-teen stage often have a hard time dealing with all the changes that our happening to them. Girls on the Run provide a positive outlook on self-image. It encourages young girls to love themselves and be proud of who they are. This program offers the girls a sense of confidence when they finish the 5k race. 

3. I found out about this program through my sorority. When I heard about it I immediately signed up. I thought it would be a wonderful experience to get out there and encourage these girls on. Although, I did not directly network with the head of Girls on the Run I was still able to participate and volunteer and see how this whole program is run. I hope to do this again next year and possibly do more networking and see how I can get involved and possibly turn it into an internship. 

4. This service provides girls to be confident and feel a sense of accomplishment when they run across that finish line. Their mission is to encourage every girl to embrace who they are and to love herself and be anyone she wants to be. 

5. Girls on the Run were a great experience. It made volunteering fun and it also gave me a sense of self that I need to believe in myself more. It made me realize that I need to think positively of myself and that I can do anything if I put my heart and mind to it.  

Project LINK - Teen Reach

Jenna Bartello

1.            I chose to volunteer my time at an after-school program called Teen Reach. Teen Reach is located at 845 18th Street in Charleston, IL. The kids within the program are ages 9-17 years old, and are considered "at risk" children. The kids are provided snacks as well as transportation home from the program. There are many activities for the kids to do at Teen Reach, including arts and crafts, watching TV or movies, video games, basketball, using computers, or just hanging out with the other kids and volunteers. Upon arrival, the kids are first directed to do their homework. The volunteers are there to make sure anyone with homework is staying on task and completing it, as well as offering any help the kids may need with their homework. The kids are free to do any of the activities provided once they complete their homework.

2.             The service that Teen Reach provides reflected several learned concepts in FCS 4840. First off, the coordinator of the program was the person to inform me that all of the kids in the program are considered “at risk.” I was not told what any of the risk factors were, but from what I have learned in class I can assume some possible risks include: being victims of abuse, living with a disability, belonging to a minority group, living in poverty, etc. Teen Reach provides a safe and helpful environment for these kids. At Teen Reach the kids are encouraged to put their schoolwork above all else, which is encouragement they may not be getting at home or from anyone else. Teen Reach also provides small daily snacks, which can go a long way for a child if they are not getting enough food when they get home at the end of the day. Throughout many of my FCS courses, I have learned the important of support systems in a person’s life. Throughout my time volunteering, it was very obvious that the staff members and other volunteers cared deeply for the kids. I was glad to realize that if any of the kids within the program didn’t have a good support system at home or outside of the program, that they at least did from the adults in Teen Reach.

3.             As soon as I walked into the doors at Teen Reach I was able to network with the coordinator/director (or “guy in charge,” not sure about his technical title), Mr. Porter. Mr. Porter and I discussed my major in school and he was able to share information with me about the many family service facilities in the Charleston area. Teen Reach shares a building with the Illinois Coalition for Community Services (ICCS) and Mr. Porter also explained to me a lot of things that the ICCS does for children and families. From this networking experience I feel like I have a better understanding about the many ways that agencies operate and serve people. I plan to continue to volunteer my time at Teen Reach, and so I feel that as I build a better relationship with Mr. Porter, he will become a great reference on a resume and a great professional mentor as well.

4.             Teen Reach can and does have a positive influence on the Charleston community. Many of the kids in the program had never before been eligible to join a sports team or other extracurricular activities at their schools due to low grades. Mr. Porter informed me that because of their time at Teen Reach and focus on schoolwork, many of the kids have improved and been able to participate in other activities. Teen Reach also provides an overall safe and supervised environment for kids during after school hours. From what I’ve learned in classes, adolescents are more likely to get in trouble and commit crimes during after school hours when left unsupervised. This program has a positive effect on the community because it keeps these kids out of trouble, while also improving their grades, providing food, providing transportation home, and providing support from adults they may see as mentors and supporters.

5.            I was very pleased with my volunteer time at Teen Reach. Most of the kids were happy to see any volunteers there. Upon my very first arrival and before even walking into the building, a 10-year-old boy was begging me to play basketball with him. I right away felt like whatever I was going to spend my time doing at Teen Reach would matter to the kids there. Another 14-year-old girl kept telling me how nice I was. I was so warmed by this because I was simply just sitting with her and coloring. I really felt like if these kids had more volunteers around in the program that it would benefit them even more. I also did not initially realize the kind of impact such a simple after-school program could have on kids. There were a few unpleasant experiences with certain kids while volunteering. Especially at this age, not every teen is going to want to interact with an adult, let alone someone they just met. Not every kid was friendly and open to me, but I did not take it personally. Since the kids in the program are “at risk,” I figured they might not be the most trusting of anyone who comes into their lives. In summary, I overall had a good experience at Teen Reach. Through just 5 hours of service I feel remembered by some of the kids, and I am definitely planning to volunteer on a weekly basis and continue to make connections with everyone in the program.

Project LINK- MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers)

Project LINK- MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) 

 

By: 

Nicole Latz 

1.       I volunteered for non-profit organization called MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers). This program takes place in Matton, IL., at the First Baptist Church. This organization provides guidance to mothers through different activities they partake in. While doing that their children are watched by volunteers.

2.       This service activity represented what I have learned in FCS 4840 and other FCS classes because it taught me a lot of disadvantaged families and what it can bring. I participated in two different programs through MOPS. One of the programs is on Mondays where people through the Eastern community or other volunteers come to watch young children. We give the children snacks, instruct them in learning activities, watch them, and also play with the children. While doing this the mother’s are in educational programs through their church. On Thursdays there is a separate program where the children that the volunteers watch are young children with teen mothers. This program is called Teen MOPS. The same activities happen with the children, but instead the parents are getting education on how to be a teen mother. This program I feel is great not just for the teen moms, teen moms, but also the children. This allows the children to also interact with other kid’s their age, participate in structured activities, and also get a nice meal and snack that is provided to them. Also, one of the days I went to volunteer the teen moms were participating in Girls on the Run. By providing these activities it can give girls great guidance.

3.       Through doing this activity I was able to network with others. The lady in charge of the program Sarah is very kind and open to help others. She has started the program and has expanded it greatly. Through talking to her I have seen how much she has done to help others and help the teen moms and children involved.

4.       This program can and already has had a great impact on the community. It is a non-profit organization that is provided to people with in that church and even the community. It gives the parents of these children time for themselves with other adults or teens their age. It provides education and ways of giving their own community service back to the community. It also provides their children structured and educational time with other children their age. It is also a great way for the kids to unwind before going home with a relaxing time to just be themselves. Also, it provides the children with snacks and something to eat. Some of the families that participate in the program do not always have that structured family, or time to spend with one another. They cannot always provide for their children either. This program is a great way to provide these things the children even if it is just one night.

5.       I really enjoy in participating in the MOPS program. I feel it is a great way for me to give back and give my time. By me giving my time I have allowed time for these mothers’s to relax and have time to themselves. I also really enjoy this program because I know I am making a difference on the children. I am providing them with guidance, and I am also just letting them enjoy themselves. It is not so structured that the children cannot have fun, but it is more so free time for them with other peers. I feel this is a great program, and has many benefits.

Project LINK- Gowin Park

 

By: Kristy Kolzow

 

1.)    I volunteered my time at Gowin Parc which is located in Mattoon, Illinois. Gowin Parc is a residential living facility for people with Alzheimer’s or other related dementia. This facility gives a secure home, environment, and service 24 hours a day. The staff create an environment that keep dementia patients functioning at their highest levels and maintain independence in every day living.

2.)    This activity really reflected concepts learned in my FCS courses. I just finished a three weekend class called Aging and the Family so going to Gowin Parc really put everything from my class into perspective. In this class we learned the different struggles that people go through during the aging process. FCS professionals work with people who are disadvantaged whether it is mentally, physically, or emotionally. Being at Gowin Parc and working with individuals who have Alzheimer’s or dementia really showed that.

3.)    While volunteering my time at Gowin Parc I networked with a couple different professionals. I first called Gowin Parc to talk about coming in to volunteer and I talked to a man named Doug. Doug told me I could come in any day of the week because they love to have volunteers. When I got there one of the girls that worked there was short staffed so I told her I would do anything that she needed. She and Doug then asked me if I would like a job here and handed me an application. So networking and going in to volunteer not only made me enjoy the experience at Gowin Parc but possibly just gave me a job for the Spring Semester.

4.)    If you go to the Gowin Parc website the first thing you can see is a quote and I felt like it explains the facility perfectly. It says, “We studied hundreds of conventional nursing homes… and then built the opposite.” This facility provides 24 hour care to disadvantaged elderly people. Some of the things they provide are a compassionate staff, a home like environment where neighbors are a part of a community, special lighting, memory boxes, indoor and outdoor track, and easy accessible bathrooms. The people who work here don’t let the people who they care for’s disability take over their life. Family members who can no longer take care of these individuals can bring them to a very warm and helpful environment without having to worry. They offer a quality of life.

5.)    I am really glad that we had to do this assignment. I have worked with children most of my life so this assignment really made me go out of my norms and work with a different group of people. It made me have so much love for the elderly and also made me want to go back and volunteer there more or possibly work there. You could tell that some of these people just wanted someone to talk to and I was that person to them. It not only made me feel good but also made me realize what facilities the Coles County area has. I didn’t know Gowin Parc existed until I did research to find a place to volunteer. It was an amazing experience to interact with all these different people for this assignment.