Michaeyla Hatcher

When I arrived, I met up with another student who attended the school, as well as the coordinator and a woman named Mrs. Linda, who handled checking in the seniors. The coordinator gave us our instructions; all we needed to do was give the seniors who came in with their carts a box of dry goods, a smaller box of produce, and a block of cheese (if they wanted it). The boxes were relatively heavy, so me and the other volunteer, Madalyn, took turns placing the boxes into the carts that the seniors brought and the vegetables and cheese. At some point, the coordinator stated that they had another station that needed help, and since I had an easier time carrying the boxes, we split off. It was interesting listening to how the seniors bantered with each other, and a lot of them were extremely nice! I got lots of compliments on my hair. After most of the boxes had been picked up, we said our goodbyes to the ladies and left the building. This activity relates to common biological issues that we experience in our society today, namely food and nutrient deficits. A lot of the foods that we eat today do not have all the nutrients that our body needs. Fast foods, aka foods that are the most readily available for cheap, are completely lacking in vital nutrients such as zinc, copper, and potassium, fiber, fruits and vegetables, and vitamin D. As a result, a lot of the US population is lacking in these and have a higher risk for many deficiency-based diseases. The elderly are disproportionately affected by this as they are less able to go out and get healthier options for themselves, and because they are no longer working, often do not have the money to pay for more nutritional alternatives. So, providing food for them by offering them fresh produce, a variety of dry goods, and dairy products for free will help them maintain healthy diets.

I arrived a bit early and under the impression that the work would be done inside, so I unfortunately wasn't dressed for the weather. However, the people working there were extremely generous and lent me some pants! I was introduced to a man named Mr. Charles who was extremely charismatic and friendly! I also talked with a few of the other staff members, and felt extremely welcome. When the other college students joined us, we filed into two vans and drove off to the worksite. Our task was to help maintain an elderly woman's yard so that it complied with HOA standards. I and a few others were put in charge of leaf raking; it was my first time doing so and I was admittedly slow, but Mr. Charles provided some lively conversation that made things go by quicker. After we finished the front yard, I helped gather up pine needles with another girl that we left for the client to do with as she pleased. Overall, the work was tough but rewarding, and I had a lot of fun! I find it very admirable that Seasbury provides this service so that people don't lose their homes. I didn't take as many pictures this time as the labor was more physical and I was focused on my task. This community service opportunity relates to the environmental aspect of biology. A focus of this activity is removing invasive and obstructive plant species from the yards of individuals that are no longer able to properly care for them. This also includes removing dead plant organisms from the yard that obstruct the photosynthesis of the healthy organisms underneath. By clearing the yard, we allow sunlight to reach the healthy pieces of grass hidden underneath the dead leaf layer which will promote a better yard ecosystem. Removing invasive species of weed not only helps the yard ecosystem but also all yards within the neighborhood biome because it eliminates unfair competition between the plant species. Additionally, helping the owner of the house collect dead pine needles is an example of the life cycle; she typically uses these needles as fodder for compost. As these needles get broken down by the decomposers (worms, beetles, flies, and millipedes etc.) in her compost bin, the nutrients left in the resulting soil will be used to help promote plant growth for her garden.

For the service learning experience, we had to line up in an assembly line with the other volunteers to place food packages into a box to be sent to senior living communities around the city. For today's experience, I was in charge of lentils! I had to place one bag of lentils into a box, and then place one flyer in the side of the box that explained the benefits of lentils and how to cook them. Getting into the swing of things was pretty easy, and eventually I had a rhythm going, but a lot of people in the front of the assembly kept rushing those in the back who had more items to place in the box, so it was annoying in that regard. They played music for us to listen to, so the 3 hours went by pretty quickly; it would have been a drag without it. When it all ended, I felt a bit of pride in my chest knowing that we had boxed at least 100 food packages with healthy meals for the elderly. When we'd first arrived, one of the managers had stated that this portion of the food bank was set up so that the elderly did not have to choose between paying for food and paying for medications. Knowing how expensive medication can be, I'm glad that they have this set up so they can get nutritious meals. From what I could see from my station, there were more healthy options outside of just lentils, like kidney beans, apple juice, cream, and pink salmon. All of the foodstuffs were high quality which should provide a satisfying meal! This activity relates to common biological issues that we experience in our society today, namely food and nutrient deficits. A lot of the foods that we eat today do not have all the nutrients that our body needs. Fast foods, aka foods that are the most readily available for cheap, are completely lacking in vital nutrients such as zinc, copper, and potassium, fiber, fruits and vegetables, and vitamin D. As a result, a lot of the US population is lacking in these and have a higher risk for many deficiency-based diseases. The elderly are disproportionately affected by this as they are less able to go out and get healthier options for themselves, and because they are no longer working, often do not have the money to pay for more nutritional alternatives. So, providing food for them by offering them fresh produce, a variety of dry goods, and dairy products for free will help them maintain healthy diets.