I have volunteered in senior centers in the past before but never have I been blown away with the amount of care and services provided for the seniors at the Gary and Mary West Senior Center. The location of the center was in close proximity to the transit and affordable housing. Once you walk in, you feel very welcomed and a sense of community with some seniors sitting around the TV, some taking part in the morning exercise, some in the cyber cafe, and some in the game room. There was always something that the center offers that accommodates to the needs of the seniors to foster socialization, healthy habits, life-long learning, friendship, and community to close some gaps that these seniors may have due to poverty. I was pleased to find that they offer free dental services for the seniors, because a lot of the seniors have insurances that do not cover for a lot of dental procedures and expenses. Dentists can play an important role in detecting early diseases by annually checking teeth, so this service is vital to ensure that the seniors age healthy and live fulfilling lives. After the tour, we got to talk to some seniors at the center. I mainly talked to a man named Willie in the game room. I noticed that he was in the corner and not doing anything. I was afraid to approach him because I was not sure what to say, but when Mariela and I approached him, he seemed happy that we talked to him as most people were talking to a senior already. It was hard for him to open up, but we learned that he is 91 this year and he grew up in Michigan. From our talk, I found that he lived most of his life alone with very little friends because he chose to be clean and not give in to peer pressure. He warned us to finish school and not get married early. I wish that I could have talked and gotten to know him a bit more, but I am glad that we talked to him though because he misses playing card games with his friend who no longer goes to the center.
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Amena NgWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
June 2019
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