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| Pictured left to right "Friends of Seniors": Zackary Lapointe, Daniel Whitcomb, Brock Wickstrom, William Whitcomb, John McDonald, Jake Barefoot, and Scott Estabrook |
In sharing the achievements of students in my Feature Friday
posts, I sometimes have the opportunity to highlight the work of unsung heroes,
students who have shown dedication to making a difference in the lives of
others without ever seeking recognition or praise. In this week’s post, I’m
proud to share the dedication of an impressive group of Nipmuc volunteers. Each
of the boys in today’s feature have been volunteers at our local senior
centers, spending an hour each week in Mendon, Upton, and Uxbridge helping our
communities’ senior citizens to learn about and use technology. The students
began their work through the Nipmuc Friends of Seniors group and found a way to
continue this service throughout their years at Nipmuc. In speaking with them
about their work, they are quick to point out the meaning that they found in the
activity and the positive impact it had on their own lives.
Enjoy this week’s features of our unsung heroes!
Jake Barefoot
I don't know if I can choose the single most rewarding part of this experience. For the past two years I have been given the opportunity to volunteer with friends, learn the importance of consistency and responsibility, learn how to communicate solutions, meet some very interesting people, and see the seniors drastically improve their ability to use technology. It has been a blast teaching community members, and making friends with the seniors who are there every week.
Scott Estabrook
To me, being able to develop a relationship with the senior citizens was the most rewarding part of the volunteer experience. It was always nice to hear about their life stories, and seeing how just us being there to talk to them, even if we couldn't help with their computer issues, made their day.
Zackary Lapointe
The most rewarding part of this volunteer experience has been being able to give back to the community. I often help out my own grandparents with technology, teaching them how to use their cell phones and iPads as well as helping them figure out any technological problems. However, there are a lot of senior citizens who don't have anyone to teach or help them, so it's nice to be able to help others learn how to use technology at the senior center.
Daniel Whitcomb
The most rewarding part of volunteering at the senior center has been the relationships I have formed with many of the senior citizens. After holding a computer class there every week, I learned a lot about the people I met. More importantly, I learned a lot from these senior citizens who have a lot of knowledge to offer to our generation.
William Whitcomb
I think the most rewarding part about helping out at the senior center was speaking to the seniors each week and building relationships with them. I feel like I could walk in there with a group of friendly faces waiting for me two years from now. It was amazing to get to know these people and help them out the best we could each week.
Steven “Brock” Wickstrom
I would have to say that the most rewarding part of my volunteer work would be the skills I have learned at my time at the senior center. At the center, I helped seniors mainly with technology-related issues, so I feel that thanks to this experience I have learned valuable skills relating to helping people understand a concept or idea that is foreign to them. I feel that I now have more patience when helping people understand concepts that are difficult for them and can better understand people when they are having difficulty with something. I have also been able to form connections with both those that work at the senior centers and the many regular attendees who came to the center looking for technology-based help. It has been very interesting working alongside citizens much older than me, helping them with concepts foreign to them and very familiar to me.
