Service-Learning VIPs: Arlo, James, and Dylan

Lake Forest Academy's Health and Human Services

Our service project consisted of two separate, but related, trips. We took the first one to Lake Forest Place (a local retirement community and home for the elderly). First, we entertained the Alzheimer's wing with our musical abilities which consisted of a guitar, a didgeridoo, and vocals. Afterwards, we engaged in conversations with the residents. It was hard in some cases, as it was the Alzheimer’s wing, and few remembered longer than a couple minutes. Even so, it was incredible hearing some of the stories of how they had come to be there. For our concluding activity, we played bingo. After we had finished, we left that day knowing we had done something good for the community.

Our second trip was to the VA hospital of Lake Forest. That was a different experience entirely. All the personnel there either volunteering or stationed there by the Navy, with the sole exception of the bingo room caretaker. We assisted the less able in their bingo games and at the end, passed out refreshments to the residents and their visiting families. This in many ways felt very rewarding, as these people seemed to need and appreciate our help. We left that day feeling that we had done some good.

These are two of our efforts in our larger, ongoing mission to aid the disabled, elderly and impoverished in our local community.

- Arlo C., James P., and Dylan S., Lake Forest Academy, Lake Forest, IL