Summative Reflection

My personal experiences in service learning throughout my time in the Bon Secours

program have shaped me to be a well-rounded altruistic care provider. I have done volunteer

work prior to the start of the program which gave me an idea of what to expect. In my previous

volunteer experiences, I would be one of many volunteers taking part of an outreach program

geared toward helping small groups of people experiencing economic downfalls in the economy.

Many of whom still had homes and some stability, yet, they needed a little assistance to help

them keep up with the financial demands of life. Throughout my college career, I saw a much

more poverty-stricken side of community service. I helped people who were completely

homeless, very poor, and in dire need of health and financial assistance just to survive on a day

to day basis. This went beyond my expectations and shifted my perception of vulnerable

populations to one in which I recognize their struggles to maintain a sense of stability that most

people dont have to worry about on a regular basis.

Over the years, Ive worked with a wide diversity of people from various backgrounds.

Through this, Ive been able to witness their strengths, problems, and solutions. One of the

greatest strengths Ive witnessed in the vulnerable populations Ive worked with is a will to

remain positive through their hardships. Its easy to place judgment and think that this

communitys poor people are poor because they chose to be. However, many of the homeless

people I have worked with are very hardworking, smart, driven, and optimistic people who just

happen to go through life changing ordeals that left them in unfortunate circumstances. The

problems they face range from lack of food and shelter to not having adequate healthcare. One

homeless individual I had the pleasure of serving at a food pantry community outreach

experience as a part of my vulnerable populations class really moved me with his solutions to
sustaining life. He explained that he would ride his bike for miles to one food pantry thats

present on Thursdays, then ride across town to take advantage of a free hot meal for homeless

people on Saturdays. Next, he would hang out at local parks and sleep on benches with a blanket

waiting for the food pantry to open again every week. He had a felony on his record for

something he said he did 20 years prior and explained that it puts a huge restrain on his ability to

obtain a job. The system for getting by that he had set up showed drive and solution to maintain

life.

External factors had a huge influence on my perception of needy people. I never place

judgement; however, I did expect that most of the people were homeless because of a crime or

drug addiction. Society shapes this image, but not all of the people I worked with fell into this

generalization. Some people I worked with would explain that they were homeless because of

the 2008 housing market problem which made them unable to keep up with bills. One lady

explained to me that she was a stay at home mom who was married for 15 years. She

explained that she relied on her husband for financial stability, but after a bad divorce, she was

left homeless with nothing. This lady came from a wealthy background but still ended up in need

of home assistance. Whats even more shocking was that she explained that there was a two-year

waiting list to be on section 8 and that many of the homeless shelters had inadequate safety

control. Ive worked with people from all racial, cultural, and social backgrounds to have a

comprehensive understanding that homelessness doesnt discriminate against anyone. In general,

I have learned throughout my experiences that homeless people come from a huge variety of

circumstances leading them up to the point of homelessness, and you cant generalize them based

on societys perception.
 The biggest thing Ive learned about the needs of the communities Ive worked with are a

need for continuity of services. Many people Ive worked with reported completely relying on

the volunteer efforts of the local outreach agencies. There are needs for daily meals, shelter,

clothes, healthcare and much more. The need for adequate healthcare has been noticed

throughout all community service experiences I have participated in. Many people reported not

having access, finances for copayments, or health insurance. This created for higher proportions

of uncontrolled psychiatric disorders, diabetes, obesity, and hypertension. The large proportion of

obese people was something I didnt expect to see in a poor community. The reason behind this

was because people would explain that the foods highest in fat and salt content were usually

much cheaper and fulfilling than fresh produce and raw meats. At one food pantry I volunteered

at, people had the option to pick wheat rice or boxed mashed potatoes, and everyone picked the

potatoes. Education on healthier food choices and ways to still eat cheap while being healthy

could be another need in this community. In addition, education on maintaining optimal health

and primary prevention strategies would also greatly benefit this community.

The service learning opportunities that I have participated in throughout my college

experience have been very worthwhile and relevant to the community and my overall learning

experience. Many people reported not being able to live without the services provided by these

dedicated community agencies. Whats even more significant is the spiritual and emotional

support many of these agencies have provided to the community. Ive seen homeless people cry

on the shoulders of the volunteers and praise the agencies. People who had gone for days without

a meal would come to the outreaches and engulf a hot meal. Clothes, toys, tents, blankets, and so

much more have all reached many people to prove the relevancy of these agencies to the

community. Overall, my learning experience has expanded to understand what this community
needs, how to work with them, and what actions are needed to incite change for the better in the

community.

My service learning experiences have influenced my perception of my need to call by

opening my eyes to the severity of the poverty crisis taking over many communities. The most

recent outreach program I participated in served well over 300 people in a matter of a few hours.

This staggering turnout reflects the drastic reality of families, veterans, elderly, and more who

are facing economic downfalls in this society. Working with these people of the community over

the years has given me insight to the needs of these communities. It has also given me the

motivation to want to put my knowledge and position to help these communities to use. I decided

to accept a job offering at Bon Secours Richmond Community Hospital over other offers just so

that I can be more in touch with the direct care for the poverty-stricken parts of the community.

My concept of service learning hasnt changed. I still recognize service learning as a

much-needed integral part of any community in order to help people thrive. I think that people

should continue to volunteer and provide resources for these vulnerable populations until a more

permanent solution is in place that addresses the true needs of the community.

The nursing courses Ive taken throughout my college experience has prepared me to

approach the vulnerable communities with a sense of understanding. We are taught the concept

of servant leadership and this is essential when providing care for the people in the communities.

Servant leadership is a concept that has embedded itself into my overall care as a nurse to make

me a well-rounded nurse who unselfishly serves people with the intent to strengthen the

community via mind, body, and spirit.

 Civic engagement is the process of people engaging in efforts to better the community

through various means. According to an article by National Louis University (2017), the

underlying aim of civic engagement is to create meaningful services that better the community

and yield sustainability of the community. It involves the socially conscious brainstorming of

community members that range from student to faculty members. Its the idea that as long as you

are a part of the community, you should recognize the issues of the community as your own. This

is all conducted with an attempt to establish alternative methods of addressing the issues the

community faces from political and non-political approaches.

When I graduate I plan to stay highly involved in the local community with special

attention toward the vulnerable populations. I plan on participating in the community outreach

services conducted by the hospital I will be working at. I chose Bon Secours Health System as

my preference for employment due to its mission to give to those in need. I plan to continue

working very closely with some of the community agencies I had the pleasure to work with

during my time at the college. In particular, I want to remain a regular practicing volunteer nurse

for Moments of Hope Outreach Programs ask the nurse station. Community service and

involvement is a huge passion of mines that will remain with me long after I graduate.
 References

(2017). What Is Civic Engagement? National Louis University. Retrieved from:

https://www.nl.edu/studentservices/civicengagement/whatiscec/