For my first two service trips, I went to Wealshire Nursing Home on September 30 and October 14, from 3:45 to 5:15 both dates. Wealshire is a nursing home for people suffering from various forms of dementia and Alzheimer's disease, and when I go with Key Club, we do activities with some of the higher functioning residents. I have actually been volunteering here for the past four years, and have always really enjoyed it. My first trip there this school year, we spent the afternoon playing bingo with the residents. There is one woman named Nancy who I have gotten to know there over the past couple of years, as she is one of the only residents who is able to really remember who we are each time we visit. While we were playing, I would help her by pointing out spaces on her board the she hadn't heard be called, and each time she would say "If I win, I'll split my prize with you. Wanna know what the prize is? A whole lot of nothing." Each time we go, Nancy also makes sure to say "I give you kids props for coming back here. I wouldn't." My second visit on the 14th, we spent the time painting pumpkins, as many of the residents, and I'm sure many of the volunteers, were unable to safely handle carving tools. This week, Nancy wasn't feeling well, so I worked with a woman named Elaine, who is in the picture above. She spent the time telling me about her grandsons who graduated from Stevenson also, and asking me about my family. It was really great to see how our going there and talking only an hour and a half out of our day was able to brighten theirs so much.
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