Friday, June 04, 2010

Community Service

Our regional council provides scholarships to university students in exchange for community service.  I got a call recently that one of the students was assigned a few hours a week to spend time with my very elderly father who has been living with us since October.

Last night the young woman came over and they had a great time together talking.  It's just what he needs.  I'm just not good at it for various reasons.  When she's off from studies, she'll be able to come for a block of time instead of an hour in the evening, but that hour in the evening is also good.  It's very stimulating for him to talk to people. 

She arrived when he was finishing taking in the wash from the clotheslines, and then they sat on the merpeset (terrace/balcony.)  I brought out some nosh.  In this weather, the merpeset is like another room.

4 comments:

Risa Tzohar said...

Sounds great for both of you! My mom's visiting in Jerusalem. We are really grateful to have her around but it is not easy watching her grow old.

Batya said...

Please send her my love. Most people our age don't have living parents. We're very lucky.

Jennifer in MamaLand said...

I really hope this works out - for both of them. My nanny (who was 96 when she died last year) had surrogate "granddaughters" who'd visit from her church. They were from Korea and didn't have any family here. It was an amazingly reciprocal thing: you'd think it was just a chessed for *her*, but they got so much out of visiting her, learning about growing up in Canada, etc, and sharing their faith. Having worked with seniors, I know that those who are patient enough to sit with them and just listen can learn a lot.

Batya said...

me, too, thanks
It looks like a good match, and for the young woman it should be a fun way to earn her scholarship.