If you had asked me four Augusts ago what I would be doing in August 2013, the summer before my senior year of college, writing this blog post and planning Lori’s Hands events for the fall semester would not have even crossed my mind. However, reminiscing on the past three years of my college career, I could not imagine doing anything else.
When I went to Activities Night on the green with my new friends from my Harrington E floor, I must admit that I was overwhelmed with the tremendous amount of groups and clubs that the University of Delaware had to offer. Where was I going to fit in? An eager nursing major, I was looking for anything that was relevant to the medical field to “boost my résumé”. In my pursuit through the massive crowds and tables, I stumbled upon Sarah and friends from Lori’s Hands. I was told that this group was founded by a group of people, several nursing students, who enjoyed helping and working with others. I had volunteered throughout high school, never with the elderly, but thought I should give it a shot!
Little did I know, it was one of the best decisions I made my freshman year of college. My first volunteer experience was with Kelsey, helping clean a wheelchair bound woman’s house, and I was hooked ever since. Although it was out of my comfort zone going to a stranger’s house with a girl that I have never met, it just felt right and I knew that there was something special about this group. I saw how happy it made this client, and I knew it was definitely something worth pursuing.
I continued to volunteer when I could, and eventually became a scheduler for a client. It was nice to be able to develop a relationship with one person and watch how they opened up more and more as visits progressed. When the opportunity came to become the President of External Affairs for the group, I was extremely excited to take it! Still a freshman, the thought of running an organization the following semester was scary. However, having my Co-President, Alexa, to run the group with has been a huge blessing. Together, we have been able to help the organization grow on campus and make it sustainable. My hope for Lori’s Hands is that it can continue to thrive on campus, and become not just a “résumé booster,” but as much of a saving grace for future students as it has been for me.
The Lori’s Hands Co-Presidents Lisa (L) and Alexa (R)
