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.