NOS Mission

Nevada Outdoor School inspires exploration of the natural world, responsible stewardship of our habitat and dedication to community.
This is the spot for us to share stories, fun ideas or general musings. When you aren't in here, we hope to see you out there!







Wednesday, March 15, 2023

AmeriCorps Spotlight - Brittany Abel (Elder Program Assistant at Pleasant Senior Center)

Hello, I am Brittany Abel, the current AmeriCorps Elder Program Assistant at Pleasant Senior Center as of Oct 17, 2022. I was looking for a part time position and found this one on indeed! 
 
 

Although I thought it was a long shot, I applied and was surprised and excited to be called for an interview. My experience caring for my sick and disabled mother and late Grandfather with patience and love helped prepare me for this position. I can now give that same care to the aging and enjoy this work because they are the reason most of us as a younger generation made it this far and how we learned to live life and survive. Although I started my service a little late, I love this job! I feel very content and enjoy meeting people that come in for my help. Knowing that I can put a smile on their faces and release the stress for them makes me happy. I try my hardest to make sure nobody leaves my office without an answer or if I can’t make that happen at that moment, I do my homework, go fishing and find the solution. I am a person who has to finish what I started and I will make it happen no matter how long it takes me. I have been the person on the other side asking for help and sent away without answers so I know how frustrating that can be. I believe that there is always a way to help and I make sure for others that I find a way to ensure that I do for others what I would want for me.
 
I’m especially happy with the learning experiences I’ve gained, how well the center is organized and how friendly folks are as well. The ladies who come from Elko are always willing to give me advise when I need it. I have succeeded in making the aging community smile and keeping them happy with all my assistance that I offer them. They bring me joy as well as smiles and I always have a great day after leaving the Center. It makes me feel confident in knowing that I have helped them with what I can and relieved some of their worries. I have always enjoyed being around older people even as a kid. They have more knowledge and I could learn from them by just watching or listening to their stories. I am a strong believer that Elders are the teachers to our parents while they are growing and parenting. I know that I don’t know it all, but I know in my heart, just by watching and listening to words spoke to me by the older generation.

I am gaining a lot of knowledge here in this position as I speak and work with each client. This knowledge will be useful in the future as I pursue a career as a Social Worker or Nurse. I like that I am becoming more responsible and more organized. I find it very important to be able to offer help to my community and myself as well. It’s important to have knowledge as well as a heart to give kind support and help as needed. I am super excited to see what the rest of my service has in store, how much more I will gain, and how many more people I will make happier. I am blessed to have this opportunity and I appreciate it daily.

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