Woodlands School Staff's Day of Caring
By Dave Whiteside, Woodlands School
Woodlands School staff had the honour of being the first school staff to participate in the Days of Caring Campaign sponsored by the United Way and ATA Local 38. We served lunch at the Calgary Drop In and Rehabilitation Centre on Saturday, January 28, 2006. Fourteen volunteers comprised of professionals, support staff and their families supported this worthwhile cause with their time and energy.
We arrived at the Drop-In Centre at 10:30 am and parked across the street from the Drop In Centre in a fenced lot, which is watched from the Centre, via closed circuit video. Peter, the volunteer coordinator, met us in the parking lot. He radioed ahead to the centre to have another staff member meet us at the entrance and take us on a tour of the facility. The tour was both informative and interesting. We would recommend it to anyone who is taking part in the Days of Caring, as it gives a good perspective on the way the Centre works, the people with whom it deals and the services it offers them.
After the tour, at 11:45 am, we met in the kitchen. We left our coats and purses in a locked office, donned plastic gloves and went out to the dining hall, crowded with hungry people and many of their valued possessions. We carried plates heaped with spaghetti steadily for about 45 minutes before all had been served.
The presence of volunteers to serve lunches or dinners allows the Drop-In Centre to better control the stream of clients who are in need of a meal. When clients are seated at tables, it is easier to make sure that each is fed and that those who may feel “entitled” do not get a second helping unbeknownst to the Centre's staff! It also allows the clients to rest, relax and keep watch over their belongings, rather than having to jostle in a line up. Many of the people waiting for lunch seemed exhausted and in need of a few minutes of rest in an admittedly noisy, but warm and relatively secure environment.
A couple of comments shared by my colleagues really helped me to see the importance of our presence. One said “I now know why we take kids on field trips. I had heard of the Drop-In Centre and felt I understood what it did, but this made it real for me." Another observed that many of the clients were extremely polite and demonstrably grateful for the help we were extending to the Centre. One thing that demonstrated this appreciation was when we left the dining hall, a round of applause greeted us. We suspect that the Centre staff started it, but it felt good and seemed to be a sincere thank you!
Returning to school on Monday, our visit to the Drop-In Centre was a topic of conversation at the staffroom table. Staff and teachers who had been unable to come mentioned that they would love to be involved if another occasion arose. Those who had volunteered all said they would gladly do it again. Almost everyone had at least one story to tell about something that had made their visit eventful and rewarding. Woodlands School will definitely be signing up for another Day of Caring at the Calgary Drop-In Center!
Have a comment about this article? Want to write a letter to the editor or maybe an article yourself? Contact ataglance@ata38.ab.ca to find out more.
© February 2006, ATA Local #38 Calgary Public Teachers
