Running head: SERVICE LEARNING

Service Learning Eric Johnson Ferris State University

SERVICE LEARNING Service Learning

The service learning proposal I have chosen to take part in takes place at Degage Ministries. Degage is a non-profit Christian organization that provides services for the homeless residents of Grand Rapids Michigan. They provide meals, shelter, and showers to the homeless. Dgag Ministries has created numerous programs to meet their unique needs. These programs include:

Overnight shelter for women in crisis Low-cost and free meals Hygiene facilities such as showers, laundry and haircuts Lockers to safely store belongings Identification through the State Identification Program Supportive Services to meet housing, employment and other goals Pro-bono legal services Support groups and Bible studies Consumer choice food pantry

Role of Service Learning This paper discusses the role of the Degage within the community, the role I play as a volunteer, the description of the volunteer role, and how the service learning project allows me to achieve the objectives required by Ferris State University RN-BSN program. The service learning project allows demonstration of professionalism, self-growth, and self-development as a nursing professional, and allows for demonstration of professional accountability. This project provides a health related service for others within the community. Volunteer Role

SERVICE LEARNING I will be volunteering at Degage Ministries hygiene desk. Degage provides a service for

homeless to keep up on daily hygiene. I will be working at the desk, working with the patrons of Grand Rapids by providing towels, soap, and other hygiene products. I will also be helping out with cleaning the department. I will be volunteering Monday mornings, it is not set whether or not I will be there every week, or every other week, the volunteer time would be from 8am until 12pm. I hope to take away a sense of compassion from volunteering at Degage. I will benefit from volunteering here because it will allow me to see how people struggle to live and provide, how addiction is more prevalent than what I have been exposed to and what I believe. I know this will change my whole outlook on homeless people, and give me a different opinion about them, and allow me to not be so judgmental when I see someone who is homeless. Degage Ministries already has a huge benefit toward the community. I plan to help them continue to provide this benefit. Offering showers and access to proper hygiene is something that is very important and beneficial for someones overall health. Program Objectives The service learning goals listed on the service learning project rubric are as follows: 1. To develop a plan for volunteer service to take place over the course of the professional education program. To provide a health-related service to a community of need. To work closely with the faculty advisor and the course faculty to implement this plan for volunteer service. To successfully complete a capstone assignment which identifies what significant personal and professional insights have occurred as a result of this service activity. Students will demonstrate personal and professional accountability in nursing practice by identifying and planning activities that contribute to growth and selfdevelopment in relation to professional goals and advancement of the profession of nursing.

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SERVICE LEARNING

Volunteering at Degage has already allowed me to develop a volunteer plan to take place over the course of the RN-BSN program, it will allow me to meet the required hours for volunteering within the community. Volunteering at the Hygiene Desk allows me to help people with their daily hygiene and provide a health-related service to a community who is in need of assistance. This volunteer service will allow me to work closely with the faculty advisor and the course faculty due to the requirement of logging volunteer hours and writing papers about my experience. As a result of this service learning project I will be able to identify personal and professional insights that I did not have before I volunteered, it will allow me to see a different side of how people live, and help me grow as a person and a professional. I will be able to practice accountability and planning by volunteering, knowing that Degage is counting on me being present the days I say I am going to volunteer, being on time when planned is a huge reflection on professionalism, and I do not plan on being un-professional. Evaluation Plan Evaluating a plan is the only way to see if the project is really effective, not just for the community but for yourself. I plan on evaluating my learning based on my opinion toward homeless people based on actually taking the time and getting to know the people who pass through. I will also determine my learning based on taking note of the day to day lives of Grand Rapids homeless people, and the effects a place like Degage has on their lives, and the benefit it adds. The only way to really see what effects my activities have on the community is to see how many people come in to Degage, take showers, and take the time to improve their hygiene. Also to see the total number of people Degage helps per day, and to see how many different services are provided to the community.

SERVICE LEARNING Conclusion

I am very excited to start volunteering at Degage Ministries and to become more familiar with a community that I do not know much about. I hope this volunteering opportunity changes my opinion of the homeless people in Grand Rapids in a positive way. I plan on learning a lot about the services provided to the homeless within the Grand Rapids community.

SERVICE LEARNING References About us. (n.d.). In degage ministries. Retrieved from http://www.degageministries.org/aboutus.html Current volunteer opportunities for individuals. (n.d.). In degage ministries. Retrieved from http://www.degageministries.org/individual.html Ferris State University School of Nursing. (n.d.). Service Learning Requirement Undergraduate (BSN) Programs.