Rachael Himes
My name is Rachael Himes, I am a first year here at The Ohio State University and I have been volunteering at Isabelle Ridgway since the beginning of second semester. My experience has been great and I have enjoyed the opportunity to work with the patients and be included in the creative projects, games and events that Daniele schedules. Being a volunteer at a rehabilitation center in my home town drove me to continue working with geriatric patients here in Columbus and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to do this sort of work through my school instead of independently. Working with other volunteers that have a genuine interest in working with these patients is enriching and enhances the experience for not just the residents in the nursing home but for other volunteers as well. Though we have only worked together a short few months, I would consider the people I volunteer with my friends and that in itself makes the experience more positive.
Daniele, our program leader, has been very accommodating throughout the semester and has put in more effort than we could ever ask for. I am glad to have a caring organizer and to know that she puts 100% effort into the cause we volunteer for. I have had such a great experience that I would most definitely recommend others to join in this program and to help bring awareness to the community. The more volunteers we receive, the better ratio of volunteer to residents we can achieve and the happier the patients become. I would hope anyone with a passion for spreading happiness and assisting in brightening the day of those within the community would reach out and join our volunteering team.
Ally Brady
I found BCEC while attending a mandatory First Year Success Series, and words can not describe how grateful I am to be involved in such an inspiring organization. It was just chance that landed me working at Isabelle Ridgway Care Center. I had originally signed up for one of the after school programs, but since those were all full, I saw openings in this program and took them for volunteer experience. Although working at the care center isn’t exactly what I expected, it is the most fulfilling part of my week. In Isabelle, the patients vary in age, they vary in degree of disability, and my personal favorite, they very in personality. I have had the privilege to work with all of these different people, and they make my week every time I go. Every Thursday from 6 to 8, a group of volunteers and I coordinate and participate in fun activities to keep the residents involved. We play all sorts of games, make crafts, and even dance along to music. The whole experience is just a break from the stress of school and provides an escape from the real world. This escape even has it’s own entertainment because these residents are all such characters. From working at Isabelle, I have learned about some amazing people, and I have also learned a few things about myself.
Going to the care center on a regular basis has allowed me to build relationships with the residents that I would have never experienced had I chosen not to volunteer. It is so important that we volunteers are consistent in going because some of the residents don’t have family or friends to keep them company. Our presence twice a week gives them something fun to break the cycle of living at the care center. It is my responsibility to be there for these people, even if I have other stuff do to because, in the end, they are my top priority. I have grown to really care for these residents, and when the school year is done, it’ll be sad not seeing them every week. Volunteering at Isabelle has also taught me patience along with responsibility. It is somewhat tedious working with the residents who don’t remember everything or aren’t as sharp as they once were. Even though it’s a little more work, it is so worth it to be able to see the smile that I can bring. Being at Isabelle Ridgway Care Center is one of the most rewarding experiences I have had since coming to Ohio State.
Jennifer L
Throughout my weekly volunteering at Isabelle Ridgway Care Center, I have developed strong friendships not only with the residents, but also the other volunteers. It’s been awesome to watch the personalities of some of the residents develop over the course of the semester. I personally connected with one of the residents during a game of corn hole. She started by telling me how she had just been released from the hospital following a surgery, and then we got into discussing the surgeries and hospitalizations she has had. Through these discussions we were able to connect over our similarities in procedures and hospitalizations. Another part of volunteering that I really enjoyed was watching the residents get so into the activities. One specific activity that caused this was the balloon activity. Two bags worth of balloons were blown up and placed on the table. The residents all sat around the table and one the count of three they all started hitting the balloons to keep them off of the ground or the table. Residents started hitting them at each other and at the volunteers, it somewhat turned into a simplified dodge ball game with balloons. I’ve never seen the residents laugh that hard. I always have a great time when I’m volunteering at Isabelle, and the residents and other volunteers never fail to make me laugh.