PAA Cares

When I was in high school, I was your typical overachiever. I was told I needed to have volunteer experience for my college application if I wanted to get into medical school.

So I took it upon myself to find these volunteer opportunities so I could get into a good college. Back then, there weren’t emails or texts. I had to call each and every place and wait to talk to someone or wait for someone to call me back. So the summer of 1995- I called a nursing home that was 10 minutes from my house. I pleaded with them to find something, anything for me to do. After some time, the lady called me back and said- ok I might have something for you…Without any hesitation, I said sure, not really knowing what i was getting myself into. I showed up on the first day, thinking I would help in the cafeteria with washing dishes or I would read to the residents.

The lady walked me down the hall where there were 10 people lined up in wheelchairs. She announced “alright everyone! It’s time for bowling!” The first player approached the line, sat in her wheelchair, took her ball and rolled it down the hallway. She knocked over a few pins. On the next try she got a few more. And then my job that I had been vying for was to set up all the pins for the next in line. This went on at least 10 times that day. And then again every Thursday for the entire summer.

Why do I bring this story up? Because that summer, I learned that I can make a difference. My one hour of volunteering for my college application, where I was to pick up bowling pins, was a nursing home resident’s greatest hour. They looked forward to this hour every week and I began to look forward to that hour each week as well.