Having the opportunity to meet everyone this past week at the Gary & Mary West Senior Wellness Center was wonderful. The whole experience was different from what I am accustomed to– from meeting at an off-campus site to interacting with community seniors, so I felt like I did not accomplish what I had expected to achieve at my first community event. I hope that this upcoming Saturday, I will be able to take greater initiative in making conversations with the seniors. I found myself relying on the seniors to carry the conversation; on one hand, there was one man who quietly sipped on his coffee and left as I tried speaking, and on the other, there was another man who happily engaged in conversation as I listened in. My goal next time is to 1) ask more than “how are you doing” and 2) commit to reflective listening strategies and navigate how to best follow up with my own stories, questions, or comments. Another aspect of the experience were the things I saw and heard outside of class time. I had arrived at the site much earlier than the expected arrival time, so I parked and waited in my car across the street. In one higher corner of St. Joseph’s Cathedral was an unhoused man seeking shelter. A passerby called out to the man to leave immediately or he would call the police because this was not the first time that he had warned him to leave. I’m not sure who the passerby is or if it is his role to supervise the area, but the interaction was disheartening. The man talking shelter did not seem to be troubling anyone so he resisted the passerby’s remarks, but eventually left due to the threat of a police call. Across the street in the parking lot were other individuals experiencing homelessness, so I am curious as to why the passerby singled out the man alone. Since the center mentioned that they serve those experiencing homelessness, I wonder if some of the individuals I saw there utilize their services and how they can receive greater assistance. The housing crisis in San Diego is having profound effects on the local aging community, and I hope that in several weeks, I can have greater knowledge on the kinds of concrete solutions and volunteering opportunities that I can take to help combat these issues.
1 Comment
Mariyah Shad
2/22/2022 12:59:39 pm
Hi Shina! I really connected with your blog post because it reflected everything I experienced during that visit that I couldn't put into words myself. When I was coming and going, I also noticed the homeless population near the Cathedral and wanted to know how many people come to the center. Is there a way that the West Center can engage that population even more and help provide them with resources? I feel like our visits to the Center really only scratched the surface of what they accomplish there and I'd love to go back and visit. Thank you for this wonderful reflection! :)
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Shina Luu Shina Luu is a General Biology and Global Health double major from Escondido, CA. She Archives
March 2022
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