Courtney Klinger

This Friday while volunteering at Cypress Glen we got to celebrate the November Birthdays. We began to gather the cake, ice cream and entertainment for the party, then gathered the residents. Each resident was very excited and enjoyed their deserts. After we all finished eating we read a November poem and some funny facts about November. In addition the arts and crafts room was recently upgraded and redesigned, so we organized the new room. It was very interesting to see the paintings the residents have created!

During my time volunteering on Friday the 8th of November we did many tasks. The first task I assisted in was delivering mail to all the residents. The current intern and I split the floors of the building and together accomplished this task, the residents must be quite loved because each person had an abundance of letters and mail! Next we gathered materials for an arts and crafts activity to decorate a plate for thanksgiving. The residents completed this craft in the dining room, and after the craft we served them pie. After this activity we cleaned up the craft and began to set up the decorations and materials for the annual Holiday Market Place. The other volunteers and I made ornaments and decorated a tiny Christmas tree to display the ornaments they would be selling. Once we had everything ready we went to set up our table in the market place. This was very rewarding because many vendors come out and sell their items to the residents and any other Greenville community member, and the residents seemed to be excited and ready to help the life enrichment team make the table and tree beautiful!

This Friday volunteering with Cypress Glen we did a few different activities. We began gathering materials to update the calendar for the residents. After we gathered materials we set up a table in the dining room and started to round up residents to assist us in decorating and organizing the calendar. We have a few women who were interested in helping us! This experience we were able to be creative and have more personal one on one time with the residents. After this activity we cleaned up the area and gather several more residents who wanted to see the ECU choir perform that afternoon. Several residents made their way to the auditorium and we set the room up appropriately for those individuals in wheel chairs. We sat and listened to the choir perform for about an hour then helped the residents back to their room. It was very enjoyable to watch the residents reactions and joy from hearing the choir sing.

During my time volunteering on the 18th of October I got to spend quality time with a number of residents. The afternoon began with gathering the residents to a concert in the dining room. We began by wheeling the assisted residents who wanted to attend, then moved to memory care residents. Once we got settled in our seats the concert began. The main act was "Elvis Presley" he sang a number of songs many of the residents knew and could sing along too. I sat beside a resident I have made a connection with and we sang and danced together; it was a joyful experience. When the concert was over we began to transport the residents back to their rooms. Some times this can be a challenging task as there are many residents to the number of volunteers available. However each person works together and we tackle the challenged. This experience showed me how to improve the residents quality of life in many ways, even if it is dancing and singing to funny songs. (:

During my time volunteering I participated in numerous activities. To begin we set up the auditorium for the sing along program that was planned for the afternoon. After this I helped give cookies and lemonade to the individuals in memory care. This experience was interesting because each person had such a different personality and need. I enjoyed spending time and interacting with them. Lastly we gathered the residents who wanted to participate in the sing along and directed them to the auditorium. Some individuals could walk and follow us to the event, while others needed assistance with wheels chairs. We helped many people to the event and we got to sing and enjoy the fun as well.