Muscles Needed! - A Student Service Learning Project

Recently, I had the opportunity to move furniture for a local non-profit. The task seemed easy! But when I arrived at the house I saw this as the back yard and I realized I wasn’t going to be able to back my truck up to the door. We were going to have to carry the 400-pound cabinets inside! The doorway was standard and not very wide. My friend that helped and I had to adjust the cabinets (and ourselves) through the door to get the cabinets inside. Luckily, once inside we didn’t have to go far. Finally! After some rearranging, the cabinets were set up in the proper place! Moving furniture is something I have done countless times but this move was different. I had to communicate with not only my helper so we stayed safe, but I also had to maintain a positive line of communication with the residential group home workers and residents! The residents at the Arc of Crawford County--a nonprofit agency that provides services to adults with intellectual and/or development disabilities--were excited about the new cabinets and were eager to see what they could store in them. I have always heard about the agency I volunteered for but never had the opportunity to see what they do first hand. The residential home these folks live in, is just like your home. They truly take pride in the home. From this experience, service learning to me, is having the opportunity to learn and grow from a hands-on opportunity. To learn from experience provides a deeper understanding of the educational point of view while also providing assistance within your community. Throughout this Communication course’s service learning assignment, I learned that I have so much to give to others, even if it’s merely moving furniture! by Gerald "Hutch" Hutchison, ACC student