Reducing barriers in access to preventative health and improving social well-being increases the overall health of elderly people, and this is exactly what Serving Seniors has been doing in downtown San Diego for quite some time. Upon arrival at the Serving Seniors building, we were welcomed by the CEO, Paul, and he explained how the non-profit operates and how they serve seniors through their positive plethora of services. One service that caught my attention was the free dental clinic for members of Serving Seniors. This is one of the only free dental services for low income seniors statewide, and it was amazing to be able to see it first hand.
My favorite part of the morning was being able to interact with many of the seniors who were currently accessing the services. I love to jump out of my comfort zone and in to a conversation, so I was excited when we were told to go find some of the members to talk with. It is amazing what intergenerational conversation can do for both parties: it allows for younger people to access knowledge (knowledge is like wine, gets better with age), and allows for older people to feel youthful again and to find a sense of purpose and joy in the fact that they get to share their life story with someone who genuinely wants to listen and learn. The conversations I had were very fun, as the first guy myself and a few of the other LCS students got to talk with was very enthusiastic about telling whatever was on his mind. He explained everything from his life in Mexico to his family all over the country, and then 20 minutes later proceeded to drive his car down 4th Avenue and play "Billie Jean" by Michael Jackson in style. As cliché as it sounds, never judge a book by its cover, because the content inside is always a mystery unknown until you take the time to read and understand it; cherish a person while they are still alive, because their book is still being written till the day they die.
Endnote on a GOOD Note:
It's never out of reach to outreach / Never a time when you can't extend a helping hand or lend some time to understand a circumstance / Betterment of a situation doesn't happen by sitting and waiting / it happens by collaborating and taking initiative to give power to the afflicted / so they can see a shift from 'one mistake and you are homeless' to having a say as a stakeholder and live their vision / to better their position in life, the mission.
My favorite part of the morning was being able to interact with many of the seniors who were currently accessing the services. I love to jump out of my comfort zone and in to a conversation, so I was excited when we were told to go find some of the members to talk with. It is amazing what intergenerational conversation can do for both parties: it allows for younger people to access knowledge (knowledge is like wine, gets better with age), and allows for older people to feel youthful again and to find a sense of purpose and joy in the fact that they get to share their life story with someone who genuinely wants to listen and learn. The conversations I had were very fun, as the first guy myself and a few of the other LCS students got to talk with was very enthusiastic about telling whatever was on his mind. He explained everything from his life in Mexico to his family all over the country, and then 20 minutes later proceeded to drive his car down 4th Avenue and play "Billie Jean" by Michael Jackson in style. As cliché as it sounds, never judge a book by its cover, because the content inside is always a mystery unknown until you take the time to read and understand it; cherish a person while they are still alive, because their book is still being written till the day they die.
Endnote on a GOOD Note:
It's never out of reach to outreach / Never a time when you can't extend a helping hand or lend some time to understand a circumstance / Betterment of a situation doesn't happen by sitting and waiting / it happens by collaborating and taking initiative to give power to the afflicted / so they can see a shift from 'one mistake and you are homeless' to having a say as a stakeholder and live their vision / to better their position in life, the mission.