Name: Liam
Social Justice Group: The Rights of the Elderly
Date of Fieldwork: December 18, 2017
Name of Organization: City Meals on Wheels (Second Visit)
Person (people) with whom I met and their job titles: 5 seniors that we provided for
Type of Fieldwork: Direct Action
What I did:
For our second City Meals on Wheels volunteering trip, we got to take on new challenges, visit new areas of New York, and meet new seniors. We started our adventure off at the City Meals on Wheels office in midtown. Unlike our first volunteering trip, as soon as we walked through the main office doors, a volunteer coordinator gave us our route sheet and handed us the packages to start our journey. We delivered over 9 packages to seniors in need throughout Midtown. Interestingly enough, all of them were men, ranging from 73 to 100. We met a man born and raised in New York City. Despite the fact that he was a 100 year old blind widow, this man took life by the handle and embraced his extraordinary situation. We then met a 80 year old man living in council housing. After being verbally abused by his landlord, this man decided to fight for his dignity and report the abusive man. We met a 78 year old, unable to get out of his bed, and a 68 year old living on a five floor walkup. Our journey was exciting, exhausting, and informative. After visiting the 9 seniors, Dora, Ben, Thorunn and I traveled home on the subway to get back in school just in time for homeroom.
What I learned:
Living on a five floor walk-up myself, I have always been worried my mother or I would find difficulty when climbing the stairs as we age. Sometimes I find myself wondering what will happen if my mother later develops an illness that causes her to use a wheelchair. Or what if I break my leg? This worry has grown throughout the years, developing into a strong fear of mine. But after visiting City Meals on Wheels, and seeing a nearly 70 year old man live up five flights of steps without being homebound, my severe fear has become nothing but a distant memory. Seeing that man helped me understand that being a senior is not a time of weakness, but an opportunity to show your strength. If an elderly man of almost age 70 is able to live happily up a five floor walk up, I am sure my mother and I can too.
What I learned about Social Justice “work” and/or Civil and Human rights “work” from this fieldwork:
After visiting a blind 100 year old widow, I was able to see how truly dependant certain seniors can become. While many are able to live most of their lives free and un-homebound, there comes an age where fighting dependency is impossible. This one man needed the assistance of 3 nurses, a night time caregiver, and City Meals on Wheels deliveries, just to get through the day. I learned from him that the people aiding him were keeping him alive. The nurses were comforting and staying attentive to his needs. The night time caregiver was monitoring his health and sleep habits. And Dora, Thorunn, Ben, and I were providing food for this amazing man. It felt incredible to be helping keep this man alive. Knowing that my actions actually made a difference warmed my heart, and knowing that I helped aid someone in need made me happier than anything else.
