Paige Kutler is a senior at the University of Delaware. She’s majoring in Nutrition and Dietetics with minors in Spanish and Strength and Conditioning. Paige volunteered with Lori’s Hands in the Fall 2021 semester as part of her Community Nutrition class. Today, she’s sharing on our blog what the experience was like.
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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.
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.
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.
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’s lives, observing different lifestyles, and so much more.
