"MEALS-ON-WHEELS"

It's week four of my internship at Santa Maria Community Services and so far everything is going swimmingly. Today we finalized my learning contract with University of Cincinnati, and it's packed full of great activities.

One such activity is a weekly Meals-on-Wheels route to six elderly women in a neighborhood in East Price Hill. Today I made my rounds for the first time, delivering meals to these residents and chatting with them on their doorsteps. I was a little nervous about how I would be received at these homes, especially being an unfamiliar face in the neighborhood. But my fears were quickly dispelled when I was warmly greeted and welcomed at each home.

That isn't to say I didn't have any excitement along the way. I listened and empathized as a resident told me about her slumlord's unresponsiveness while their entire apartment complex went without heat this weekend. I hollered "Meals-on-Wheels" at the top of my lungs each time one woman in particular kept asking, "Who is it?" I helped one woman connect to assistance with her rent deposit upon returning to the office. I even helped chase down a little dog that had dashed out an open front door.

And you know what? I loved every minute of it. I look forward to further developing a trustworthy relationship with each of these residents over the next 6 months. After all, this is what social work is all about--getting out in the community and connecting with people in need of services. So who knows? Maybe I will continue to participate with Meals-on-Wheels into the summer and subsequent quarters, long after this portion of my internship has finished. It definitely couldn't hurt.