Pre-Service

            My hopes for the Service Learning Project are to give back to the community, gain a new experience, and be able to look forward to what I will be doing. I would first like to give back to the community, because I attend school in this area and have free time so why not spend it doing something meaningful. A few administrators have also mentioned to me that St. Ambrose University does not currently have the best standing with the community due to disruptiveness. I would love to play a role in improving this standing by helping out the community and showing them what great students attend St. Ambrose University and what the school as a whole is really about. Secondly, working with the elderly will be a new experience for me, because I have not yet been give a chance to do so. Lastly, because I love helping others out and love the elderly, I will be able to look forward to completing my service learning hours.

            I assume that my Service Learning site will really allow me to work with and interact with the elderly people. I think I will be given the opportunity to talk one on one with many of them, engage in activities, such as playing games and so on, and will get to assist them in anyway possible. From any past experience I have had with elderly people, even with people of different ages in general, there will be some people that are more friendly than others and some that will not mind my assistance as much as others will.

            I have chosen the Center for Active Seniors, Inc. (CASI) for my location to complete my service learning at. I know that the center is dedicated to serving seniors in the greater Quad Cities area and has a professional staff dedicated to the advocacy of seniors. I know that CASI offers daily activities, educational classes, community forums, and a fitness center for the seniors. They also operate the only adult day care facility in Eastern Iowa, serving seniors with early onset dementia, seniors with specific physical needs, and seniors who enjoy a daily routine filled with physical and mental activities and social interaction.

            I am very interested in serving this site, because I have never really gotten a chance to work with seniors before. I think the elderly are adorable and usually so sweet, so I am really looking forward to working with them. I love talking one on one with people, and I know the seniors will have a lot of interesting stories / information to tell me. I know there is also a lot I could share with them as well. I really think this will overall be a great experience, and I am looking forward to it!