This has definitely been one of the fastest weeks of my life. However, as we woke up this morning and drove to CASA for the last time, the path was very familiar and easy to navigate compared to five days ago when we had to make a U-turn to get back to the build. This morning we made home visits with the nurse and social worker employed by CASA. Emily and I were assigned to a Mattie, and eighty-seven year old woman. Although she lived with her daughter and had friends from church visiting often, she was enthusiastic about having guests in her home. We asked her for various information regarding her concerns about her health, her finances, and the upkeep of her home. This information was to be passed along to CASA to determine what services they could provide for her to keep her comfortable. The nurse informed us that the individuals we would be visiting were most likely unable to afford residence in an assisted living facility. Mattie was incredibly sharp! She told us to make sure we take care of ourselves by wearing our coats and gave us the advice to stay away from men and marriage.
After lunch we were able to see the beautiful country side of Madison County with home deliveries of food, toiletries, and warm clothes. There were about eight clients out in the urban parts of the county that we delivered to. We were able to see some of the richest and poorest parts of the county along the way. One client lived in a trailer that didn't have a paved drive to the front porch. When we got inside, it became obvious that they were a hoarder and there were cockroaches crawling all over the walls around the stove in the kitchen. This trailer was a half a mile down the road from a new housing development where the massive brick homes had three car garages and massive front lawns. Seeing the economic gap of those who live in the mountain valleys was definitely one if not the most eye-opening experience of the trip for me. It was heartwarming how incredibly thankful those receiving CASA’s aid were to us when we arrived with the bags. In the south you get called “baby” or “child” as a term of endearment by the older generations. The kindness of the people of Alabama has definitely made an impression on me. I hope in my life I can try to spread some of their southern charm and make those who enter into my life, even for a short while, feel as accepted and appreciated as they have made me feel these past five days.
No comments:
Post a Comment