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| 400 indeed |
It
has been some time since the 300. Part
of it is due to me being lax in my writing; but one of main reasons has been the reduction in my volunteer hours. I have
always believed that volunteering should never be a chore and if one finds it
as being so, then it is time to stop or at least pull back. While I never considered it a chore, I wasn’t
feeling as committed as I had been in the past.
My travels had taken over most of my weekends and work often left me
tired on weekdays. But there were a few
projects that I was particularly fond of and ones which I tried to attend
regularly – “Lakeview Senior’s Pet
Therapy”, “Dinner At Wells Street
Café” and “Adler After Dark”.
I
will never forget my very first visit to ‘Lakeview
Nursing Home’, for it was my very first project. I have written at length in the past on “What’s The Word” and how that became
one of my favorite activities, right until its cancellation last year. Through that I was introduced to other
projects that Chicago Cares ran here, most notably “Lakeview Seniors Bingo” and “Lakeview Senior’s Pet Therapy”, besides some of the weekend projects. But the one that I am particularly fond of is
“Pet Therapy”. Yes, I love dogs and this project gives me an
opportunity to indulge myself in their company, but it is so much more than
that. This is probably the most “hands on” project that Chicago Cares
has when it comes to seniors, since you are literally visiting with them in
their rooms. This is not some Bingo game
in a community hall, but a personal experience and perhaps the only interaction
that most of the seniors have during the week.
I have seen everything from raw humanity to intense vulnerability to
misplaced optimism and even resigned humor during these visits. And I have met some unforgettable characters
like Hannah, who is always ready with a story and Loritta with her endless
smiles and my newest friend Pearl, who is as well-read and educated as any
person that I have met. In my opinion,
this project is truly the most significant one in Chicago Cares’
portfolio.
I
had first gone to “Dinner At Wells Street
Café” through Chicago Cares and had taken an instant liking to the project,
primarily because of the people involved.
Marianne, who is in charge of the volunteers and pretty much runs the
place, is just the kind of motherly figure that you want to see at the end of a
hard day…of which there have been plenty. Her
reassured touch makes what could easily be a chaotic evening a well-run
machine, but with the most important ingredient – a human touch. She never lets us forget why we do what we do
and ensures that our guests have the best experience possible, along with the
volunteers. Every month as I visit
there, I am reminded of the great people I work with, people like Joe and John;
an especially little Hannah who continues to amaze with a maturity far beyond
her young age. It is truly a family
environment and the love and respect that our guests have for Marianne is
evident. Even though we have cycled
through 3 chefs since I have started here, the one constant is always
the high quality of the food. There is
no compromise on that and our guests are treated to a meal worthy of any
restaurant. Plus there is always plenty
to go around and no one leaves hungry.
It is my privilege to be able to serve here and more importantly, be a
part of that family.
Ever
since I moved to Chicago to take up my current job, my association with the
scientific community had been reduced to occasional conversations with my old
colleagues. That was till one day at a “Volunteer Expo”, I came across a team
from the ‘Adler Planetarium’ and they
told me about the volunteer opportunity as an “After Hours Education Host” at their premier social event – ‘Adler After Dark’. I decided to apply and what followed was a
long process, which included a grueling interview – one of the most difficult ones that I
have given – and intense training. But
it has all paid off in the end, for this is one of the best volunteer
experiences. For 4 hours every month, I get to discuss science with
people. The entire evening is not only
designed to provide our guests a great experience, but the volunteers are
rotated through various stations, so that they do not get tired and jaded. On any given evening I talk with ten’s if not
hundreds of people and often end up teaching them something that they were not
aware of. Plus every event has its own
theme and different set of experiments to accompany it, which keeps everything
fresh. Also, I enjoy the company of my
colleagues, who are as nerdy as me when it comes to science and we spend most
of our free time debating the latest scientific discovery or even better, “sci-fi” movies.
While
these 3 projects will remain some of my more frequent activities, over the
course of last 100 articles, I have spent a brief time as a volunteer at ‘Lincoln Park Zoo’ and also finished my
first “Jimmy Fund Boston Marathon Walk”. Besides that I had an opportunity to meet
Baby Kyler and be a part of the wish that sent him to ‘Disneyworld’…before it was too late. And I was able to attend a classical concert
unlike any other with the residents of ‘Misericordia’. It has been an incredible journey and it
still is. Even though the stops have
become a bit infrequent, it is still an experience that introduces me to
amazing people…on every street.
*All the client's names
have been changed in order to respect their privacy
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