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| Travis Wilson Class of 2016 |
Over the last several years Helping Hands Serving Hearts has been a great success. We have been able to help upwards of 90 different senior citizens in the Louisville Metro area with various small projects around their homes in order to make their lives safer and easier. Through this program we have had the privilege of working with the staff of numerous professional senior living organizations such as Elderserve, MD2U, Highland Community Ministries, and several others who notify us of senior citizens in need of assistance. With the help of countless volunteers and a talented executive board including fellow McConnell Scholars Mary Elizabeth Young, Philip Moore and rising campus leader Allen Rakotoniaina, helping hands has become a consistent resource for providing senior citizens with free assistance with small projects around their home.
One of my favorite memories from my time as leader of this organization was when we were able to help one of our clients named Charles. He was referred to us for some light housework and organizing needed in his apartment. Aside from his vibrant personality and extensive duck figurine collection which consumes much of his apartment space, this project was particularly memorable because we were able to seriously improve his quality of life. Charles was unable to sleep in his own bedroom because he was physically unable to remove the boxes from the bed. Such a project takes only a couple of minutes for young and physically able, but for him, he was genuinely unable to complete the task and did not know who to ask for help. Helping Hands was able to provide him with several volunteers for about 2 hours in order to help him get organized, allowing him to finally fully utilize the comfort of his own home. I received a thank you call from Charles a few days later saying that the night after we helped him, he had “the best night’s sleep that he has ever had.”
Our volunteers over the past two years have been the lifeblood of our organization. We have partnered with the majority of the Greek community at U of L, Baptist Campus Ministries, and the Honors Volunteer Program to help collect volunteers to help our clients. Participation varies from week to week but we have consistently been able to garner 15-30 volunteers bi-weekly, with up to as many as 60 on some occasion. I believe that the type of program that we offer differs greatly from many of the volunteer opportunities offered to college students. While large fundraisers are necessary and enjoyable, volunteers seldom are able to see the difference that they make in the community first hand. With Helping Hands, volunteers consistently return to volunteer time and again because they can quickly see the difference that they are making, and in turn, become more interconnected with the Louisville community and their fellow volunteers as a result.
The ability of this organization to make a visible difference in the lives of our neighbors and to provide a truly unique volunteer experience makes Helping Hands an exceptional organization that must continue to be a presence on campus and in the community long after the founding board members have graduated. There comes a time in every organizations existence when it becomes crucial to develop new leaders to take the organization to new heights. An influx of new ideas and a strong commitment to our mission can create a brighter future for Helping Hands. We have recently selected 5 young, bright individuals through an application process and look forward to seeing how their energy, dedication, and excitement that will make Helping Hands Serving Hearts a positive movement in the Louisville community for years to come.
For more information on Helping Hands please visit: www.facebook.com/hhshlouisville
For more information on partnering with our organization please email: HelpingHandsServingHearts@gmail.com
Travis Wilson is a junior McConnell Scholar at the University of Louisville. He studies economics, political science, and history.