Story of the Week

Each AmeriCorps member has the option to "adopt" a senior and perform the volunteer activities themselves. I went out to meet Clara to see what kind of organizing help she needed.

I spent about an hour or so sitting with her talking about what her organizing goal was. Throughout this visit, I also got to know her a bit. She had a computer that was set up and she was okay with checking emails.
I decided to adopt her because it felt like I had the opportunity to help her get rid of some clutter, but more importantly, help her understand how technology might be able to help her get rid of some of the papers.
The second visit took a bit of time to get scheduled, but when we sat down at her table, she'd drawn up a list of things she wanted to tackle, and had even tried to think of ways to organize herself. I shared some of the tools and tricks I use to keep track of a lot of information. One of those hints was something I just recently learned from a former AmeriCorps member who had been hired by the CVCOA for another position.  This visual way of organizing seemed to be extremely helpful to her. I also talked to her about podcasts I listened to. She did not exactly know what podcasts were, so I gave her an overview and told her I would work on a way for her to listen to podcasts on her computer. She was excited to have a new way to listen to things in her otherwise quiet apartment.
Sadly, COVID-19 happened, and I am currently unable to see her. I really hope to be able to visit before my service ends. If not, I am hopeful to maybe exchange emails occasionally and continue this relationship far beyond my service year.