1) I volunteered at the PADS shelter in Mattoon, IL
2) Going to the shelter reflected many of the concepts
that we have learned in class. Some of
those concepts would be homelessness, poverty, and hunger. These concepts are important for all Family
and Consumer Sciences professionals to know and understand. I think that these concepts as well as others
are taught all throughout the Family and Consumer Sciences field of study. The PADS shelter runs solely based off of the
donations from others to provide hot meals for the guests that come there every
night. The shelter also allows for both
men and women to stay in the shelter overnight.
It is primarily first come first serve for the hot meal as well as the
beds. Men and women are not able to stay
in the same bed; even if they are married, and they have to stay on separate sides
of the room. The shelter supplies two
meals for those in need, but there are some stipulations. If a guest stays overnight then they are able
to receive breakfast before they go out for the day and then there is a dinner
provided. The shelter also has a few
washer and dryers that are available for each guest to use.
3) While at the shelter I talked with many different
people; including the director of PADS because I was there early. I was taking with him about the normal amount
of people that are usually at the shelter at any given night, and he gave me a
brief overview of different rules the guests had to follow. He made a point to make sure that the people
there were guests; not homeless or people of poverty. I was also discussing with the couple and
their son that were also volunteering their time in the kitchen to prepare a
hot meal. They were telling me that they
volunteer every week at the same time and prepare the dinner for the guests at
the shelter. They also were telling me
how in the past few years how the amount of people volunteering their own time
has declined as well as the amount of donations that the shelter receives on a
daily basis. I learned a lot from the
people that were there volunteering their time as well as running the whole
shelter. The director was very helpful
in trying to explain a new grant that he was applying for and how it would help
the guests of the shelter. The people
that volunteered that the shelter were also very helpful with giving a personal
insight on how the shelter works and operates.
4) The effect that the service organization has on the
community is supplying for those who cannot supply for themselves. The PADS shelter offers many incentives for
the guests that stay there. They receive
a hot meal, a warm bed, laundry facilities, and a hot breakfast in the morning. Along with all of those perks they have
people there that genuinely care about them and their well-being, people go
there and feel like humans again.
5) Overall, I enjoyed this experience it made me feel
good about myself. I know that stating
that could come off a little self-centered but that is just how I felt. Knowing that I was helping others with no
reward in return for myself was really self-rewarding. I will definitely be going back to PADS to
volunteer my time and if not at PADS then somewhere in my hometown; Mokena, IL.
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