Through Seniors Helping Seniors, we did not have the traditional supervisor like the other agencies. Mr. Soeder and Mrs. Trentanelli basically just kept in touch with us and answered any questions that we may have had. In another aspect, the people were serve were also out supervisors because they were our main “bosses” by them requesting our services and telling us which services they wished for us to perform. Lastly, my partner and I were our supervisors because we did the majority of the directing outside of this program. We had to communicate with our clients and decided when would be the best times for us to go to their homes and service, what jobs they needed us to do, and how to prepare for those jobs to assure that they were done in an efficient and thoughtful way.
We worked for justice by going beyond just general community service and gaining that personal relationship with our clients. We wanted to give people the attention that we believed they needed as well as wanted; even if it was not stated. Our clients have different situations and backgrounds and the majority of them live alone or with one other person. Their lives have many different challenges, trials, and sometimes “you just need an extra hand.”* Through Seniors Helping Seniors, we had hoped that we would be able to fill that emptiness and almost void that our clients may have from the different trials they have faced by serving them. By serving them, not only are our clients gaining, but we are as well. We are gaining leadership characteristics, responsibilities, and also relationships that will hopefully be carried out past Seniors Helping Seniors.
Hopefully, through our Seniors Helping Seniors, we are impacting the community as a whole. Not only through us, but I hope that by setting a foundation for SHS, the future Perry seniors that will be doing SHS will be able to have the same service award that we received. It is not a physical award such as a trophy, but an emotional trophy. Through SHS, I have learned a lot about myself and most importantly, I have more about senior citizens than I ever thought I would. I learned about their lifestyles, challenges, and just how appreciative they can be. I learned that every little thing you do for someone has an impact on them; and through SHS, I have developed a mindset that a service is a service no matter how big or small and I will carry that with me throughout college and my future career. I will serve whenever I can and I will always think back to SHS and howit taught me to be a better servant.
*Said by one of our clients
We worked for justice by going beyond just general community service and gaining that personal relationship with our clients. We wanted to give people the attention that we believed they needed as well as wanted; even if it was not stated. Our clients have different situations and backgrounds and the majority of them live alone or with one other person. Their lives have many different challenges, trials, and sometimes “you just need an extra hand.”* Through Seniors Helping Seniors, we had hoped that we would be able to fill that emptiness and almost void that our clients may have from the different trials they have faced by serving them. By serving them, not only are our clients gaining, but we are as well. We are gaining leadership characteristics, responsibilities, and also relationships that will hopefully be carried out past Seniors Helping Seniors.
Hopefully, through our Seniors Helping Seniors, we are impacting the community as a whole. Not only through us, but I hope that by setting a foundation for SHS, the future Perry seniors that will be doing SHS will be able to have the same service award that we received. It is not a physical award such as a trophy, but an emotional trophy. Through SHS, I have learned a lot about myself and most importantly, I have more about senior citizens than I ever thought I would. I learned about their lifestyles, challenges, and just how appreciative they can be. I learned that every little thing you do for someone has an impact on them; and through SHS, I have developed a mindset that a service is a service no matter how big or small and I will carry that with me throughout college and my future career. I will serve whenever I can and I will always think back to SHS and howit taught me to be a better servant.
*Said by one of our clients