Somersfield Academy students Gregg Mwangi, Tatum Brewer, and Grayson Toogood have formed community project group Waves of Gratitude. Their goal is to “give back to the people who give in our

community”. The students are going to highlight volunteers from various charities and commemorate them for giving back to the community. They are also going to get their hands dirty and volunteer. They hope you enjoy their articles.

MEALS ON WHEELS by Tatum Brewer

Waves of Gratitude volunteered at the outstanding charity, Meals on Wheels, on March 5 and the experience was truly eye-opening.

I organised the time by contacting volunteer co-ordinator Allison Garland, who was extremely helpful and easy to communicate with.

Before this, I had no experience with Meals On Wheels, so I was interested to see what it was all about.

When we first got there, the parking lot was full of lovely volunteers. Once we got inside, the people there were very friendly and welcomed us all.

They asked us questions about our project and were very chatty — they even offered us cookies.

We got teamed up with our driver and got going. She showed us her delivery list and we had ten people to deliver to.

To be honest, when we started, I thought we would just drop the meals and go, but wow was I wrong.

The driver really had a personal connection with all the recipients and that is very meaningful to them.

Additionally, they were elated when they saw our faces and one lady even hugged us all.

Others would chat to us and give us great advice such as “Give while you’re young and it will come back to you when you’re old.”

Some even had dogs and we brought them treats. One thing that really stood out to me was how appreciative all the people were for the company and the hot meals.

This is an extremely worthy cause and is definitely a place you can volunteer if you are looking to give some of your time back to your community.

To contact Meals on Wheels, e-mail Allison at mealsonwheels@logic.bm.

WINDREACH

Our group decided to volunteer at WindReach Bermuda on March 6.

WindReach is an organisation that cares for the disabled, and also offers meditation and exercise courses.

The facility consists of horse stables, an educational centre, and a farm.

The organisation offers Life Skills, Therapeutic riding, Adaptive sports, Goat Yoga, and a seniors’ programme. It also incorporates farm animals as therapy for the general public, and the special needs community.

The volunteering experience consisted of a variety of interesting activities, including raking up hay and straw from the pathways, carrying wheelbarrows, feeding chickens, goats and rabbits, and refilling the rabbit cages with straw.

There is a lot of work to do, but it is also extremely enjoyable as you have the ability to work with and around farm animals.

Paige Eversley, the WindReach communicator, explained that the goal and the mission of the charity is to provide programming and activities for the special needs community.

She said that one of her favourite things about the charity was being able to work in all different areas and to see children come to WindReach who cannot speak or function well, and after participating in activities they’ve grown and started increasing their communication skills.

If any student would like to volunteer or help out at the facility call Paige Eversley at 238-2469 or e-mail them at windreach@windreach.bm.

YOUNG AT HEART

The goal of Young at Heart is to bring happiness to the elderly at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital who otherwise wouldn’t have anyone come and visit them.

Young at Heart co-ordinator and Somersfield M4 student, Kate Tobin, answered our questions.

1. What is your name and role at the charity?

“I’m Kate Tobin and I’m running Young at Heart this year. Matthew Elliot, Kyaida Lanthier]and I set it up last year as part of our Community Project at Somersfield Academy and I’ve been continuing it this year.”

2. What inspires you to

volunteer at this charity?

“Just bringing happiness to people and putting smiles on their faces.”

3. What is the goal of this charity and why does it matter for Bermuda?

“The goal is to bring happiness to people. A lot of the patients here don’t have someone to visit them, so we like to be that someone. It’s really important because with an ageing population there are going to be more people here.”

4. What’s your most memorable experience?

“We brought cupcakes for a resident named Murphy for her birthday last year, which was really fun, and we had a little party with her. We’ve also had times where Kyaida and I would dance with some of the patients. We have also done lots of art therapy, but I don’t really have a favourite moment.”

5. How can students/children get involved and help out?

“At the moment we have more than a dozen students volunteering over the course of a week and would love for more people to get involved. If you are looking to help out our e-mail is youngatheartbermuda@gmail.com and our Instagram is @youngatheartbda .”

Come on students of Bermuda - let’s get involved!

RED CROSS by Tatum Brewer

The next charity we volunteered at is the Red Cross Thrift Store run by Maria Duffy.

We went to this store called the Upstairs Closet and had a blast. From the moment I walked in, I met a lovely volunteer who was very welcoming.

I brought a bag of clothes that I was donating, and I went to the back of the store to drop it off. They were very appreciative of the donation.

My first task was to scan the racks of clothes and be sure there were no empty hangers or clothes on the floor.

The thrift store itself is truly clean and very organised, so it is easy to search for your treasures.

Next, after I collected hangers I gave them to the cashier to keep and went into the back to sort through clothes.

I do have to say that this was surprisingly fun and interesting.

I would go through the bags and find clothes from popular brands, local brands, and even handmade items.

The volunteers thoroughly check the clothes to be sure there were no stains or holes. After, I would take the clothes and hang them up in their designated spot on the shelves, and while I was doing this shoppers were coming in and out of the store.

Truly, I think this is a great way to shop because it helps the environment, raises money for the Red Cross, and lets you find unique pieces.

SALVATION ARMY by Grayson Toogood

I decided to volunteer at the Salvation Army, on January 13, 2018.

The Salvation Army includes a thrift store, a donated food garage and Alcohol and Drugs Rehabilitation centre. The volunteering experience consisted of sorting clothes and boxes of food. It is an easy and fun way for young students to earn Community Service Hours or to volunteer in general.

I asked Alison Smith and her fellow workers a series of questions that further extended my knowledge of the charity. Alison Smith explained how the purpose of the charity is to help provide less fortunate people with living appliances and goods that can be sold at more reasonable prices.

I also asked Ms Smith and her fellow volunteers what their favourite moments were.

They all agreed they came when they knew they were making a positive impact and they are inspired by the fact there is a large number of less fortunate people that need to be cared for.

If any student or adult wants to volunteer, call the Salvation Army Thrift Store on 292-8107.

WAVES OF GRATITUDE AWARD

The Waves of Gratitude group decided to create an award for two deserving Somersfield Academy students.

Our school had a prize giving, which we assumed would be the best time to present the awards, which were given to Ian Forbes and Enoch Richardson.

On a day-to-day basis, Ian is always kind, generous, and clearly shows his love for Somersfield. He never fails to make his peers laugh or be happy.

Enoch Richardson, was presented for the award through his kind actions such as holding the door open for all of the students at lunchtime, and by taking

out the school compost bins at times when there is no one else to get that job done.

These two students deserved it, as they have the ability to make things better, without needing to be recognised.

We created this award to give some recognition and thanks to those who give. As a group, we feel people who can humbly improve any given situation deserve full respect from everyone.