Final Service Reflection

It is sad to see my time volunteering at Best Friends be over, but I am grateful for the opportunity and experiences it has given me.

Final Service Reflection- Cassadi Cordea

I have loved the time I've spent volunteering at Best Friends. I've grown to care about the people there and they make me very thankful for my family and my family's health. It's hard seeing these great people have dementia but I am glad that they are in great care. All of the volunteers at Best Friends, especially the ones who have been coming for many years, do such a wonderful job. The people there really enjoy it and that is what makes it special. As I will say in my video, I do plan on going and continuing to volunteer. Perhaps I'll visit right before the holidays and see how everyone is doing. They've certainly left a great impact on my and I'm so grateful for that.

Final Video Reflection- Grant Guenther

Grant Guenther- Final SL Reflection Video

As my time at Best Friends has come to a close, here is a video of me reflecting on my experiences.

Thank you to Best Friends for some amazing experiences!

Final Video Reflection - Madilyne McDonald

        My time with the Best Friends Day Center is drawing to a close, and I have truly had some experiences to remember during my time there. Friday afternoons were always sure to be entertaining, as well as a reminder of how I want to live my life. I will miss my time at Best Friends and the many dance moves that the participants have taught me. Here are some final thoughts about my time spent at this service organization.

Ice-cream time was always a favorite!

 

Written Reflection 3- Cassadi Cordea

My most recent visit to Best Friends reminded me of why I like going there. Every time I go I leave with a new funny story or a heartwarming moment to talk about. My most recent visit happened to be my last, but I do think I will volunteer again in the future. I don't think this will happen until after the break though.
Today when I went it was a volunteer's birthday, so everyone was celebrating. We had cake and ice cream and sang happy birthday, some of the participants also demanded for more ice cream. Their demands were not met, but that was okay. The cake was really good and it was a nice perk being there for that. We also had a Thanksgiving scavenger hunt, and Madilyne and I were asked to help one of the participants with his clues. The clue led us to the tv in the other room, but our friend quickly got tired and sat down so it was mostly Madilyne and I doing the scavenger hunt. We were fine with this because we were still having fun. Later on all of the participants wrote on a puzzle piece what they were thankful for and they put the pieces on a painting of a tree, like they were leaves. It was kind of sweet to hear all of the things they were thankful for. Some of them were specific people and others were simpler things like blue skies. I could tell that they all really liked that activity.

One of the CD's they listen to. I recognized this album very well. 

In the spirit of Thanksgiving and being thankful and such, I am thankful that I got to volunteer here. It taught me a lot about putting the needs of others first. I am also thankful for the people I get to work with there. I've met some pretty interesting people there, but I can tell that they are really good at heart. They like to laugh, have fun, and find joy in the most simple things. Song-time is one of my favorite activities. Most of them know every song in the songbook and they seem to really enjoy singing as a group. The other volunteers there who have been going for a long time really love what they do and are such an important part of this place. I hope that the work that I've done has left a positive impact on the people there; they have certainly left a positive impact on me.

The bird cage at Best Friends. Some of the participants really love spending time here.

Written Reflection 3 - Kalee Fuller

As my weeks volunteering with the Best Friends Day Center have come to a close, I am able to reflect back on my experiences and see all that I have learned and accomplished. It has been such a pleasure to be able to work with such amazing participants, employees, and other volunteers over the semester.

One of the couple book shelves filled with all
types of books, historical to fictional.

When I was first assigned to the Best Friends group, I was both excited and nervous to work with people who had dementia. I was unsure of the “correct” way to help them and talk to them if there was one, and it was an unusual environment for me all together. After my first week volunteering at the day center, I was excited to go back the next week. We had fun singing with the participants and playing games during group time. It was much more relaxed and easy going than I had expected it to be. 

The weeks went on and I began to get more and more comfortable going to Best Friends and talking to the people there. Even though they may not always remember me, I remembered each of them and the different parts of their personality that would stand out during our group time—their sense of humor, the way they danced, or how loud they sang. 

The table filled with magazines and activities for the participants. 

One of my past few weeks was the first time that I had ever gotten to spend more one on one time with the patients there, and it was even more rewarding than the group time I had experienced before. It was also the first time that I had ever gotten to do any other activity besides singing the songs with the participants. Getting to have individual conversations with different people and learn more about them was awesome. They each have stories and love to share them with us. 

It was during this time that I realized how greatly this time spent at Best Friends has also impacted me, not just the people I have gotten the opportunity to work with. I have also realized how much I will miss going there every week and getting to see their faces when we walk through the door. Overall, it has been such a rewarding time for me and I am so happy I got the chance to participate. 

Written Reflection #3- Grant Guenther

Peggy's wonderful picture during coloring time (above).

My picture during coloring time (above).

     Written or Video Reflection #3
           On Friday the 13^th I went to Best Friends Daycare for my last required time. It was an eventful visit that certainly did not disappoint. I had not been to volunteer in three weeks before this final visit because I was way ahead on hours compared to the rest of my group, but I missed the experience dearly. Kalee and I went to Best Friends at 10:00 for this visit, making it a whole new atmosphere since it was in the morning rather than the usual afternoon. As soon as we walked into the building there were only 5 patients or so there but they immediately invited me to come color with them. Coloring took up close to an hour of time as we talked and colored. During this time, I really bonded with several patients I had not really talked to much before. Their names were Peggy and Martha. Both of which were very proper ladies who loved coloring. As I was coloring my flowers, it seemed as if I was having the same conversation over and over again. I would be coloring and Peggy would tell me that I am a great colorer, then she would proceed to ask me what other colors I would use. I had the same conversation close to 10 times and could really notice her dementia kicking in, but coloring was still a blast.

          Once coloring time was over, we went and stretched out a little as more and more patients began to flood into the daycare. During stretch-time I found really big heart shaped glasses and put them on which the patients got a kick out of because I looked silly. I loved this occurrence because it really emphasized how much I could  brighten their days. While I had my glasses on, Marie, my girlfriend, started chasing me around the room till she finally caught me and ended up giving me a hug and then pinching my side. Next was lunch where they had fish (since it was Friday and it is a Catholic based daycare), cole slaw, corn, a roll, and a brownie for desert. It really looked like a great meal. As we were eating, I was talking to several patients including Norman, Julie, and Peggy. And boy can Norman eat! He had two plate fulls of food.  It was a great meal.

Lunch time!

           As soon as we were done eating I helped put away the trash and clear off the plates when suddenly a new elderly women walked in; she was checking out the daycare with her daughter to see if she would like this place for herself. The daughter asked everyone how they liked it at Best Friends and everybody said they loved it. Paula then made the comment “If we didn’t like it we wouldn’t be here.” It was so great to see how much the patient like Best Friends. This was one of my favorite visits because there was more time for talking rather than games. It was great to experience the family atmosphere of Best Friends and I hope to go back even though it isn’t required of me anymore. I sure do love that place because I can give great times and receive amazing memories in the process. The people may have diseases hindering them, but they are still living their life to the fullest.

"Best Friends" even decorates for Holidays!