Before I came to San Francisco, I knew I wanted to volunteer in the city. It's easy to get stuck in that little student bubble - I can't get a paid job due to my visa regulations, but volunteering is a good way to escape and also to give something back.
When I came across the Curry Senior Center online, I knew it was something I wanted to be a part of.
It's located in the Tenderloin district, which is a small area sandwiched between Union Square (the Oxford Street of San Francisco) and the Civic Center - despite being right in the middle of the city, these couple of blocks make up one of its most deprived parts.
The Center works with the low-income elderly population who live in the Tenderloin, assisting them in finding housing, providing healthcare and creating an all-round friendly and safe environment in which the elderly can eat and socialise.
I signed up for the Bingo and Meal Service, which runs on Wednesday mornings from 10-12.30.
The staff are mostly volunteers, apparently some work every single day! I was mostly working with a really nice (ex-model!) lady called Jane who volunteers every Wednesday at the Center, as well as being involved in various other organisations.
After a few games of bingo (everyone was loving it!), I helped to serve the meals in two sittings. It was striking that around 3/4 of the visitors spoke very little to no English, but food is universal! The morning went by really quickly - it was tiring, but rewarding too!
I'll be back volunteering in a few weeks' time!
I didn't take any of my own pictures, obviously, so if you want to find out more just go to the Curry Senior Center's website: http://curryseniorcenter.org/
I signed up for the Bingo and Meal Service, which runs on Wednesday mornings from 10-12.30.
The staff are mostly volunteers, apparently some work every single day! I was mostly working with a really nice (ex-model!) lady called Jane who volunteers every Wednesday at the Center, as well as being involved in various other organisations.
After a few games of bingo (everyone was loving it!), I helped to serve the meals in two sittings. It was striking that around 3/4 of the visitors spoke very little to no English, but food is universal! The morning went by really quickly - it was tiring, but rewarding too!
I'll be back volunteering in a few weeks' time!
I didn't take any of my own pictures, obviously, so if you want to find out more just go to the Curry Senior Center's website: http://curryseniorcenter.org/
that's amazing beth. and any volunteering with the elderly is so up my street. missing you x
ReplyDelete