A Healthy Partnership
Two students from the University of Michigan Undergraduate Nursing Program joined tenants at our Davis property once a week as part of a service learning course. Ashley Hayner and Stephany Maniscalco worked with Charles Lewis, our Community Center Coordinator, to provide and a meal and social activities for tenants. The meal, often followed by a movie or just good conversation, offered students and tenants an opportunity to meet and share stories. Ashley and Stephany also created a booklet about free or low-cost health care resources in the community that tenants could access.
Following is an excerpt from a wrap-up survey with one of the students.
Q: What did you do during your time volunteering at the Davis community meals?
A: We sat in the commons room and talked to the residents. We talked, listened to music, and listed to the stories the residents told.
Q: What do you feel you learned during this time that will be beneficial to you as a future nurse and medical professional?
A: I learned to never judge a book by its cover. I know a lot of these residents have a mental or physical disability, but by talking to them you would never know it. Also, even though all the residents are low income and have a disability, there is a lot of diversity within the residents who live there. This will help me with my nursing career because it shows me that there is so much more to people than just the fact that they are low income. It will also help me because it shows me that every patient is different and they have to be treated differently and uniquely.
Q: What was the most surprising thing you learned over the course of the semester at Davis?
A: The most surprising thing I learned is the benefit of just smiling and listening to people becuase I never knew what a big effect it could have. The residents at Avalon really appreciated having someone to talk to. It was surprising to me how much they opened up and trusted me with their concerns and different events occurring in their life.
Q: What advice would you offer future service learning students in this position?
A: My advice to other students is to be open. The people at Avalon have a lot of good advice, but you have to have an open heart and mind when listening to them. If you are open, you will get a lot more from the residents than they are getting from you.
Q: What would you suggest Avalon change about the community meals to make them better for tenants?
A: It would be really nice if more residents would get involved with the talking aspect of the dinner. A lot of residents got dinner and then left because they didn’t really know why we were there. I feel it would have been beneficial for me and the other residents if more people would have participated. That way I could have gotten to know and help more people who live there.
Q: Is there anything I haven’t asked you that you would like to add about your experience, the site, our staff, or our organization?
A: Charles Lewis is a wonderful guy and this is a great organization!
