My Volunteer Placement

August 11th through 15th: this week has been really amazing. i have volunteering at the community center for senior called martincitos every morning this week. all of the abuelos are so adorable and welcoming. to explain, martincitos is a place in a town called villa el salvador where poor senior citizens cane come 3 days a week to recieve 2 free meals, excercise, healthcare, therapy and can participate in exercise, games, prayer, singing and dancing, as well as arts and crafts. this is a really wonderful place that helps many people who normally would not have enough money to even eat. the first day this week they all welcomed us with a really cute song and dance. we did exercises with them, served them breakfast and lunch, did the dishes, helped in the kitchen, did arts and crafts with some of the ladies, and gave lots of hugs and kisses. the clinic is only open monday, wednesday, and friday, therefore on tuesdays and thrusdays the nun who runs the place, sister jackie, and a few volunteers make house visits to the abuleos who did not make it to the clinic that week to ensure that everything is okay. making house visits with jackie on tuesday was very heartbreaking, but also inspiring. it was very interesting to see where and how people lived. some places had dirt floors and carboard roofs. everyone was very inviting and so happy that we had come to visit. even though i cannot understand or communicate very well, i felt my presence, and the hugs helped. they know that people care. it is important that someone goes to check on them, and jackie always does, and they were all so appreciative of her.