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	<title>student volunteers &#8211; Lori&#039;s Hands</title>
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	<title>student volunteers &#8211; Lori&#039;s Hands</title>
	<link>https://lorishands.org</link>
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		<title>Abigail Mclaughlin and Aubrey McGovern reflect on their year of friendship, mentorship and good memories</title>
		<link>https://lorishands.org/abigail-mclaughlin-and-aubrey-mcgovern-reflect-on-their-year-of-friendship-mentorship-and-good-memories/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[maggie]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 08 Jun 2023 16:59:30 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[clients]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Newark]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[service learning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[student volunteers]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://lorishands.org/?p=2878</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Article by Risha Inaganti When medical laboratory science major and genetic counseling minor Abigail McLaughlin began to work with Lori’s Hands, she had no idea her path would cross with...]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Article by Risha Inaganti</p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When medical laboratory science major and genetic counseling minor Abigail McLaughlin began to work with Lori’s Hands, she had no idea her path would cross with Aubrey McGovern, a Spanish studies major with minors in medical diagnostics and Spanish for healthcare. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The two were randomly paired up to make visits together through Lori’s Hands. What went from being purely volunteering at the same organization turned into a lifelong friendship as the two embarked on what Abigail considers to be one of her most rewarding experiences yet.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to Abigail, who just completed her first year at the University of Delaware, Aubrey, who just graduated from the same university, was constantly providing her with support and helpful advice about all things life and career. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It’s funny looking back on how Aubrey and I didn’t know each other a year ago,” Abigail said. “She’s been such an amazing friend and, in many ways, has been like a mentor to me.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Abigail explained how meeting someone further ahead on the same career path has encouraged her more and more with every visit they went on together.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">During the course of the 2022-2023 school year, Abigail and Aubrey met with community member Marge Pastore once a week. Throughout the entire year, Marge always had the same excited look when they walked through the door, according to Aubrey.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Together, the three talked about all things past, present and future – sharing their life stories and discussing goals for the future.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Her face lights up when we see her,” Aubrey said. “And ours does too, it’s always exciting when we know we’re about to spend an hour talking to our friend Marge.”</span></p>
<p><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-2880 alignright" src="https://lorishands.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Marge.jpeg" alt="" width="512" height="384" /></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Between them all laughing about their funny life experiences, Marge always r</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">eminds Abigail and Aubrey that they are on the right life path, commenting on how she can “see it in their eyes” that they are going in the right direction.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Getting to build such a strong connection like this is really a reminder of why I’m doing this and assures me I’m about to be doing the right thing with my life,” Aubrey said.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Although the trio’s weekly visits have come to an end as Aubrey has graduated, there is no doubt that their impact has been strong. As Aubrey moves onto her next adventure, Abigail is starting her second year at the University of Delaware; both will carry with them fond memories and inspiration from this year’s visits with Marge.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Through the constant support from Aubrey and love from Marge, it’s clear to see how much of an impact I’m already making, even if it is through smaller things,” Abigail said. “Lori’s Hands is definitely reassuring me of my career goals.”</span></p>
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		<title>Two students reflect on their friendship with their Lori&#8217;s Hands client</title>
		<link>https://lorishands.org/two-students-reflect-on-their-friendship-with-their-loris-hands-client/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[maggie]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 22 May 2023 15:12:32 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[clients]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Newark]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[student volunteers]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://lorishands.org/?p=2856</guid>

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		<h5 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Miliana Kratchmarov and Melissa Kuesel reflect on their friendship with Wayne Hanna</strong></h5>
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		<p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">From left to right</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">:</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Melissa Kuesel, Wayne Hanna and Miliana Kratchmarov</span></em></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Article by Risha Inaganti</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wayne Hanna’s home is filled with colorful books, blooming plants and endless photos. Once a week, Wayne’s home welcomes in student volunteers Miliana Kratchmarov, a sophomore who is studying to become a nurse at the University of Delaware, and Melissa Kuesel, a senior studying human services at Delaware Technical Community College.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Every Friday when Melissa and Miliana walk into the Newark home, they are greeted by the warmth of the decor and the gleeful ba</span>rks of Lori’s Hands’ Pet of the Year winner, Sophie.</p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“His house is so amazing, everything is so homey,” Melissa said. “Wayne literally has the best basement ever, it’s like craft central down there. I’m so jealous I love exploring everything.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But it is not just Wayne’s house that Melissa can rave about. Melissa and Miliana are in agreement on how Wayne&#8217;s personality makes him a joy to be around.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“He just has a great sense of humor and is so sweet,” Miliana said. “He’s always been a pleasure to work with.” </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Miliana explains that what started off as helping with general house chores such as mopping and sweeping, has grown into a beautiful friendship between the three. Wayne, Miliana and Melissa come together Friday mornings to complete house work, talk about what has happened in their week apart and share life stories.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">They end each visit by sitting in the living room together, catching up as the television quietly plays in the background and Sophie rests at their feet.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wayne, who has spent his life in Delaware, loves sharing stories about his time in the state, and it’s become a big bonding point for the three.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It’s so fun to compare the places in Delaware we’ve been to and learn how things have changed over the years,” Melissa said. “We get so into it that we’ll end up having long conversations about specific streets.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">From telling them about the number of times he’s missed a turn when driving, to explaining the time his garage door broke, Wayne’s stories always have Melissa and Miliana on the edge of their seat.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I alwa</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">ys look forward to hearing his stories,” Melissa said. “He’s had so many fun life experiences and I love that I get to hear them.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As the semester comes to an end they share the sentiment of the time they spent together. Melissa, who is graduating this year, mentions how much she will miss him as Miliana explains how lucky she was to meet him.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Visiting Wayne has become like a tradition that I can look forward to,” Miliana said. “I wake up Friday morning and my first thought is always ‘time to see Wayne,’ and I love it.”</span></p>
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		<p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wayne’s framed prints of Sophie winning Pet of the Year</span></em></p>
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		<p>Risha Inaganti is a sophomore at the University of Delaware with a double major in communication and English, as well as a double minor in journalism and environmental humanities. She is currently serving as a communications intern for Lori&#8217;s Hands, Newark.</p>
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		<title>Madison, Grace, and Dave: Building a Close Intergenerational Bond in Newark</title>
		<link>https://lorishands.org/madison-grace-dave/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[maggie]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 21 Feb 2023 18:00:53 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[clients]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Newark]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[service learning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[student volunteers]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://lorishands.org/?p=2798</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[The winter/spring semester has gotten off to a great start for both new and returning Lori&#8217;s Hands participants! Madison, Grace, and Dave have been building an intergenerational friendship in Newark,...]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The winter/spring semester has gotten off to a great start for both new and returning Lori&#8217;s Hands participants! Madison, Grace, and Dave have been building an intergenerational friendship in Newark, Delaware together since the spring of 2021. The strong bond between this student pair and their client has only deepened over time, and Grace reflected: &#8220;I feel like this year, we’ve been closer and it&#8217;s more natural helping him.&#8221; Dave, who has been a Lori&#8217;s Hands client since 2016, told us: “I look forward to the visits. The students help me out with a lot of things like making the bed, doing dishes and helping with lunch.” Madison shared that the best part of their weekly visits is &#8220;being able to make a difference in Dave&#8217;s day, no matter how minor it is, and to see the impact of what companionship can do.&#8221;</p>
<p>Thank you to Madison, Grace, and Dave for sharing their story with us, and to the Lori&#8217;s Hands community for making intergenerational friendships like this one possible!</p>
<p><img decoding="async" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-2799" src="https://lorishands.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Madison-Grace-Dave-Blog.png" alt="" width="1396" height="930" srcset="https://lorishands.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Madison-Grace-Dave-Blog.png 1396w, https://lorishands.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Madison-Grace-Dave-Blog-768x512.png 768w, https://lorishands.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Madison-Grace-Dave-Blog-900x600.png 900w" sizes="(max-width: 1396px) 100vw, 1396px" /></p>
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		<title>Annual spring clean up day in Newark, DE</title>
		<link>https://lorishands.org/annual-spring-clean-up-day-in-newark-de/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[maggie]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 08 Apr 2022 15:55:14 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[community volunteers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[event]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Newark]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[service learning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[service project]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[student volunteers]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://lorishands.org/?p=2202</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Lori&#8217;s Hands will be hosting our annual community spring clean-up day in Newark, DE on Saturday, May 7th from 10am-12pm. We hope you&#8217;ll join us for flower planting, weeding, and...]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Lori&#8217;s Hands will be hosting our annual community spring clean-up day in Newark, DE on Saturday, May 7th from 10am-12pm. We hope you&#8217;ll join us for flower planting, weeding, and spreading some springtime cheer!</p>
<p>We will be having virtual event kickoffs for all volunteers on Wednesday, May 4th at 7pm and Friday, May 6th at 3:30pm (attend whichever is convenient for you!) to discuss safety protocols and parameters.</p>
<p>Volunteers for the spring clean-up day will need to be masked and vaccinated (or able to provide proof of a negative COVID PCR test within 72 hours of the event). All the event&#8217;s activities will take place outside and while maintaining physical distance from clients and volunteers from separate households.</p>
<p>Sign up for the community spring clean-up day here: <a class="text-blue underline focus-visible" contenteditable="plaintext-only" href="https://airtable.com/shrzuE1JaXe7eatH9" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://airtable.com/shrzuE1JaXe7eatH9</a></p>
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		<title>The Relationship Between Lori&#8217;s Hands &#038; Nutrition</title>
		<link>https://lorishands.org/the-relationship-between-loris-hands-nutrition/</link>
					<comments>https://lorishands.org/the-relationship-between-loris-hands-nutrition/#comments</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[maggie]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 05 Jan 2022 14:49:29 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cooking]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Newark]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[student volunteers]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://lorishands.org/?p=2038</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Paige Kutler is a senior at the University of Delaware. She&#8217;s majoring in Nutrition and Dietetics with minors in Spanish and Strength and Conditioning. Paige volunteered with Lori&#8217;s Hands in...]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Paige Kutler is a senior at the University of Delaware. She&#8217;s majoring in Nutrition and Dietetics with minors in Spanish and Strength and Conditioning. Paige volunteered with Lori&#8217;s Hands in the Fall 2021 semester as part of her Community Nutrition class. Today, she&#8217;s sharing on our blog what the experience was like.</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>I was assigned to Lori’s Hands as part of a field experience for my Community Nutrition class. After researching the organization, my first thought was “what does this have to do with nutrition?” or “how is this going to help me with my future career?” My other classmates were assigned to places like the UD Nutrition Clinic or the Food Bank of Delaware, which are blatantly part of the nutrition field.</p>
<p>I soon learned that Lori’s Hands can be a great experience for anyone who is looking to go into the healthcare field, or really anyone who likes helping people. I happened to be paired with Dom, who enjoys cooking and is interested in health and fitness, so this obviously contributed to making my experience nutrition-related, but there are so many other aspects that also added to this.</p>
<p>As a future dietitian or nurse or anyone giving advice, it is important to know about the lifestyle of your client. Volunteering in-home gives a firsthand look into what someone’s lifestyle is like, which needs to be considered when making health or nutrition recommendations. Furthermore, it is so important to learn about and be aware of various chronic illnesses that people have when you are in any healthcare field. This can affect food recommendations, exercise recommendations, and so much more. You cannot assume that everyone has space for an in-home gym or is able to afford a specific food, and Lori’s Hands gives insight into the lives that people live.</p>
<p>So, while I knew Lori’s Hands was a great organization that helps those with chronic illness, I was skeptical as to how this would relate to nutrition and why this was a site for my nutrition class. After reflecting on my experience, I have realized all the indirect relationships there are. This includes helping people, seeing the impact of chronic illness on people&#8217;s lives, observing different lifestyles, and so much more.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-2041" src="https://lorishands.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Paige-Kutler.png" alt="" width="1080" height="1080" srcset="https://lorishands.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Paige-Kutler.png 1080w, https://lorishands.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Paige-Kutler-768x768.png 768w, https://lorishands.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Paige-Kutler-100x100.png 100w, https://lorishands.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Paige-Kutler-140x140.png 140w, https://lorishands.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Paige-Kutler-500x500.png 500w, https://lorishands.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Paige-Kutler-350x350.png 350w, https://lorishands.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Paige-Kutler-1000x1000.png 1000w, https://lorishands.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Paige-Kutler-800x800.png 800w" sizes="(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px" /></p>
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		<title>National Family Caregivers Month: One Caregiver&#8217;s Story</title>
		<link>https://lorishands.org/national-family-caregivers-month-one-caregivers-story/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[maggie]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 23 Nov 2021 14:18:08 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[caregiver]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Newark]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[service learning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[student volunteers]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://lorishands.org/?p=1958</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[November is National Family Caregivers Month, a time to recognize and honor family caregivers. It&#8217;s also an opportunity to raise awareness of caregiving issues, educate communities and increase support for...]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>November is National Family Caregivers Month, a time to recognize and honor family caregivers. It&#8217;s also an opportunity to raise awareness of caregiving issues, educate communities and increase support for caregivers.</p>
<p>For the past four years, Ann has been caring for her husband, Ron, who lives with Parkinson’s disease. His health complications mean that Ann can’t leave him alone and she also has to be on watch for seizures that can occur when he is moving around.</p>
<p>While helping someone you love can feel like second nature, it’s important for caregivers to think about their own needs. Unfortunately, those needs can wind up at the bottom of the daily to-do list.</p>
<p>Ann knows that firsthand. After trying to ignore a nagging pain in her foot, she finally had to go to the doctor and wound up in a boot to allow her foot to heal.</p>
<p>“Everyone said, ‘You need to take care of this.’ And I know caregivers have to take care of themselves,” she said. “But it’s really hard because it complicates everything.”</p>
<p>Because of Ron’s seizures, Ann can’t bring him to the store to pick up a few things. She can’t leave him in the car, either. So, she relies on her sister and others to help her make time for herself. She also gets a break when two students from Lori’s Hands visit with Ron to talk and play air hockey. The students talk with Ron and allow her to get some time of her own.</p>
<p>&#8220;It’s good for him to talk to people other than me. He would sit here and watch TV or read the paper otherwise. It’s very hard to get him to do anything on his own,” Ann said. “When they go play air hockey, I go upstairs and take care of something I want to take care of.”</p>
<p>Caregivers can struggle with feeling like they are imposing on someone, so it helps that the Lori’s Hands volunteers also benefit from the time spent with the Ann and Ron. Ann said one of her Lori’s Hands volunteers has expressed an interest in learning more about Ron’s condition. He even sat in on a presentation given by Ron&#8217;s neurologist about Parkinson&#8217;s Disease.</p>
<p>“He sat there, Ron sat there and we watched the Zoom call,” she said. “He’s pre-med, so he’s really interested in what’s going on with Ron. I think it helped him as well as me. It’s about getting that experience. I’m glad we can be part of that.”</p>
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		<title>Emily Huang: SOURCE Service Scholar</title>
		<link>https://lorishands.org/1954-2/</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[maggie]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 19 Nov 2021 17:43:27 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Baltimore]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[service learning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[student volunteers]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://lorishands.org/?p=1954</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Everyone can use an extra set of hands, even Lori’s Hands. That’s why the Baltimore chapter is excited to have Emily Huang volunteer this year as a SOURCE Service Scholar...]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Everyone can use an extra set of hands, even Lori’s Hands. That’s why the Baltimore chapter is excited to have Emily Huang volunteer this year as a SOURCE Service Scholar with the goal of helping more students get connected to Lori’s Hands and learn about our intergenerational service learning organization. Huang, a first-year student at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, is working on volunteer recruitment for our growing chapter and ways to keep students retained in the program.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://source.jhu.edu/get-involved/community-engaged-scholarship/service-scholars-program.html">SOURCE Service Scholars program</a> offers a unique opportunity for health professional students to connect with community-based partners like Lori’s Hands in long-term commitments that span the academic year. A goal of SOURCE is to encourage other students to volunteer, which extends the pipeline of student help and strengthens the connection to the community organization.</p>
<p>That’s something Huang cares about deeply. Over the next year, she’ll spend 150 hours helping the Baltimore chapter increase its volunteer base by connecting with other institutions of higher education in the area.</p>
<p>“I always wanted to become more involved in the community where, one day, I’ll hopefully be able to practice medicine,” said Huang, who is from Utah and graduated from the University of Utah with a bachelor’s degree in biology.</p>
<p>“I think that one thing that is very unique to Lori&#8217;s Hands is the ability to work hand-in-hand and have this long-term relationship with a client. That could be very helpful because you can really establish that bond and see how you&#8217;re making a difference in their life and how they personally make a difference in the volunteer’s life.”</p>
<p>Huang brings a volunteer mindset to Lori’s Hands. While an undergraduate, she worked closely with the medically underserved population at her local free clinic and homeless day center. She also has done diabetes research and created a wellness program to raise awareness about preventable chronic diseases that disproportionately impact individuals experiencing homelessness.</p>
<p>Working with Lori’s Hands helps Huang to put into practice what she’s learning about her in classes. Her outreach with other organizations on behalf of Lori’s Hands also has helped her learn about Baltimore’s community, particularly those who are medically underserved.</p>
<p>“I think it definitely humanizes medicine a little bit more when you have that interaction with a client,” she said. “Through volunteering with this program, you&#8217;re able to get more interactions and talk to people who are actually experiencing these illnesses.”</p>
<p>For Huang, helping others to get connected to Lori’s Hands is a nod to her grandfather, who lives with a chronic illness. She has seen firsthand how stimulating social interactions can be and how important they are to keep people from feeling isolated and alone.</p>
<p>“That&#8217;s something that I want to be able to contribute back to the community,” Huang said. “And I hope to be able to build the capacity for Lori&#8217;s Hands, especially the Baltimore branch, so that we can continue having volunteers who can do that for the clients.”</p>
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		<title>Edna and Her &#8220;Lori&#8217;s Hands Girls&#8221;</title>
		<link>https://lorishands.org/edna-and-her-loris-hands-girls/</link>
					<comments>https://lorishands.org/edna-and-her-loris-hands-girls/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[maggie]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 07 Oct 2021 18:42:30 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[clients]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Newark]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pandemic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[service learning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[student volunteers]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://lorishands.org/?p=1899</guid>

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		<p>When Jessica Johnson and Grace Pekala joined Lori’s Hands as student volunteers they knew it was an opportunity to spend time helping people in the community.</p>
<p>But what they didn’t expect was the feeling of family that quickly developed as a result of visiting client Edna Watt, one of the very first community members to join Lori’s Hands more than a decade ago. Between shopping for groceries, sending funny texts and making socially distanced visits, the trio has developed a thriving friendship &#8211; continuing a long line of Lori’s Hands volunteers smitten by Watt’s sunny personality.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" class="alignleft wp-image-1901 " src="https://lorishands.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Grace-Jess-and-Edna-9_21-rotated.jpeg" alt="" width="677" height="508" /></p>
<p>“Yeah, we’re one of Edna’s girls now. That’s how her family knows us,” laughs Johnson, a medical diagnostics major at the University of Delaware. “We know about all the other Lori’s Hands girls who came before us. We all share something special by knowing Edna. She is like family to us.”</p>
<p>It’s a connection borne out of the simple act of being together. But as anyone with Lori’s Hands knows, there’s something magical about the time spent in service together.</p>
<p>“I was not expecting it to be as powerful as it is. I was just expecting to go grocery shopping, honestly. But it&#8217;s way more than that,” Pekala said. “Every week, I look forward to going and seeing Edna and catching up with her. It&#8217;s companionship. Honestly, it&#8217;s a true friendship.”</p>
<p>Pekala joined Lori’s Hands out of a love of volunteering. In the summer of 2020, with COVID-19 upending most activities, Pekala and Johnson began making socially distanced visits to Watt. They picked up her groceries and sat outside together while wearing face masks, listening to Watt’s stories about her life with her late husband, raising her children and what’s going on with the Lori’s Hands alumni she keeps in touch with.</p>
<p>Their visits with Watt have taught the volunteers how much the gift of time can mean to someone. In Pekala’s case, it also helped her recognize the professional path she wants to follow after graduation.</p>
<p>“I realized that I want to help people by talking to them. I love to talk to Edna and I love listening to her and her stories. So [Lori’s Hands] actually changed my mind and helped me realize I want to be a therapist,” she said.</p>
<p>Johnson said she loves every opportunity to interact with Watt, including one that was definitely a surprise.</p>
<p>“She texts us. You wouldn&#8217;t expect that because she’s 90 and you wouldn&#8217;t really expect a person to be that savvy at texting at that age, but she&#8217;ll always text us to check in,” said Johnson. “She draws you in because she has all these stories and she knows so many people. It’s definitely like an extra grandma.”</p>
<p>Although Johnson and Pekala were strangers when they were paired, the students quickly became friends, forever bonded by their Lori’s Hands experience.</p>
<p>“Now we&#8217;re best friends. I look forward to seeing Jess every week,” Pekala said. “We show up to Edna&#8217;s and we go grocery shopping and we laugh together and we talk about our lives and how school is going. That’s really something special.”</p>
<p>Each week, the pair know that no matter how much stress they’re feeling at school, they always have something &#8211; rather, someone &#8211; to look forward to. Watt will be waiting with two cold water bottles from the fridge and a fresh batch of stories to share.</p>
<p>“When you sign up for Lori&#8217;s Hands, you&#8217;re signing up for a time commitment and you know it.” Pekala said. “The volunteers truly want to help and you&#8217;re in it for the long run. You&#8217;re usually with the client for a while. You see them grow. And you grow with them. So for me, that&#8217;s what made the connection so strong.</p>
<p>“I&#8217;ve seen other people with their clients, and the connection is just as strong. So I know it&#8217;s not just me and Jess and Edna. I know it&#8217;s like that for my friend Adam and his client, Karen. I think it&#8217;s just something special about Lori&#8217;s Hands. Everyone loves the Lori&#8217;s Hands girls.”</p>
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		<title>Training videos give students valuable perspective on client experiences</title>
		<link>https://lorishands.org/training-videos-give-students-valuable-perspective-on-client-experiences/</link>
					<comments>https://lorishands.org/training-videos-give-students-valuable-perspective-on-client-experiences/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[maggie]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 29 Jul 2021 09:05:09 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[service learning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[student volunteers]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://omt.jjm.mybluehost.me/?p=1540</guid>

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		<p>Lori’s Hands prides itself on continually providing educational opportunities for student volunteers to help them better understand the health-related and societal challenges that impact many people in the community. To that end, over the past year and a half, the Lori’s Hands team has been expanding its learning library by developing training videos that allow student volunteers to enhance their knowledge and skills.</p>
<p>Covering topics including caregiving, health equity, care coordination, and loneliness, the videos function as resources students can access in order to learn more about issues impacting their clients. Once they watch the videos, students take a short quiz to make sure they understand the material and can apply it in a community setting.</p>
<p>“The training of our students is an extremely important part of what we do,” Maggie Ratnayake, Program Director, said. “Our mission is not just to provide community support to individuals managing chronic disease, but it&#8217;s also to educate students &#8211; and equip them to go on to be more informed healthcare practitioners. Robust training ensures that students can better assist their clients and also that they walk away from Lori’s Hands really having gained a lot from this experience.”</p>
<p>The more student volunteers know, the better they are able to meet the needs of the community members they serve. For example, as Lori’s Hands students get to know their client, they may suspect he or she is feeling lonely. By watching the training video on loneliness, students can take this observation and learn about how loneliness can impact clients’ physical, emotional and social health and get ideas about additional ways to combat the detrimental effects. And with program evaluation revealing that Lori’s Hands clients often feel a decrease in loneliness symptoms after 6 months of participation, enhancing students’ understanding of loneliness (among many other important topics) is anticipated to be particularly impactful.</p>
<p>Through the training videos, Lori’s Hands hopes to provide additional resources for student volunteers to be knowledgeable when they’re visiting with community members. A student with a greater understanding about social and health inequities &#8211; as well the context they exist in &#8211; will be able to develop more ways to help their clients.</p>
<p>“Hearing about a client’s transportation issues may be kind of daunting for a student who&#8217;s never had to step into that world. They may be unsure of how to best support their client and how to access necessary resources. For example, where do you look, what’s available, and how do you call to get started?” Ratnayake said. “We think these trainings will fill some existing gaps in students’ knowledge and experience, which will, in turn, help students be able to provide more support.”</p>
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		<title>The Lori&#8217;s Hands Experience: Cathy, Harshitha, and Connor&#8217;s Story</title>
		<link>https://lorishands.org/the-loris-hands-experience-cathy-harshitha-and-connors-story/</link>
					<comments>https://lorishands.org/the-loris-hands-experience-cathy-harshitha-and-connors-story/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[maggie]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 06 May 2021 22:33:22 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[clients]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Newark]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[student volunteers]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://omt.jjm.mybluehost.me/?p=986</guid>

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		<p>Long before COVID-19 entered our collective vocabulary, Cathy Hoddinott considered the student volunteers from Lori’s Hands part of her family. She recounts their accomplishments with glowing pride, noting one former volunteer is in graduate school while another current one is raising a young son while continuing her education.</p>
<p>Hoddinott laughs about the time she did a video call at Christmas with the family of one of her former students. (“She told me they wanted to meet me because she talked about me all the time,” Hoddinott gushes.) She praises two of her current student volunteers &#8211; Connor Barrett and Harshitha Henry &#8211; for continuing to help her even with a pandemic swirling around them.</p>
<p>The pair have been delivering groceries to Hoddinott weekly so she doesn’t have to leave her Newark apartment. Along the way, they’ve learned a little something about what it’s like cooking for one, and Hoddinott has enjoyed their determination to get everything on the list, even if they can’t find something in the store.</p>
<p>“We get along so well,” Hoddinott says. “The biggest thing I can say, their patience and their kindness and the fact they are involved in something like this really makes me feel so good,” Hoddinott said. “To see young people doing this – and going out of their way to do it during a time like this – really shows me that I can still learn from young people.”</p>
<p>For Barrett and Henry, the experience of volunteering with Lori’s Hands has been just as rewarding. Henry was introduced to Lori’s Hands by an upperclassman and immediately became intrigued. She says the connections she has built with community members have helped her develop a greater sense of social responsibility and empathy towards others. Henry plans to carry that perspective into her career in healthcare.</p>
<p>“I did not expect to build such meaningful friendships with my clients with such a large age difference,” she says. “They are some of the first people that hear about my accomplishments and important events going on in my life, and I love sharing with them.”</p>
<p>Helping out during COVID has meant a shift from in-person visits to phone calls and contactless pickups, but Henry says she still feels a strong connection to her clients. In addition to her shopping trips for Hoddinott, Henry also chats on the phone with other clients. One expressed his appreciation for their phone conversations, saying, “You are all my adopted grandchildren, I want to hear all about your lives!”</p>
<p>“With my own grandparents living in a different country, these connections have been so meaningful to me,” Henry says. “These clients have filled in that role for me and give me the opportunity to physically connect with them.”</p>
<p>From playing board games and helping with chores before the pandemic to now picking up fresh fruits and vegetables at the store, volunteering with Lori’s Hands has given Barrett a way to learn deeply about the patient experience in a non-clinical setting.</p>
<p>“It has revealed the daily challenges that doctors don&#8217;t generally see, so I feel that I am better equipped to understand the obstacles a patient may face outside the hospital,” says Barrett, who plans to pursue a career in medicine.</p>
<p>Like Henry, Barrett appreciates the opportunity for long-term connection. “Service is never one way,” he adds. ”It is far more impactful to learn about who one is helping.”</p>
<p>As grateful as she is to hear from her students, Hoddinott says it tickles her heart just a little more when she can share nuggets of wisdom with them.</p>
<p>“It’s so nice when they want to know things or when they ask your opinion on things. I tell them, ‘Don’t let anybody mistreat you. Speak up for yourself,’” she says. “It really does mean a lot to me. I feel like they’re family.”</p>
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