Journey is the institutional magazine of Carson-Newman University. Journey tells stories of Carson-Newman students, faculty and alumni of the University.
Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/50035
Pink cloths adorned tables where dinner had been served not long before. Out came necklaces, stretchy bracelets and costume rings Liberace would have liked. All around was hand lotion, nail clippers, hair combs, cotton balls and nail polish of many hues – but nothing garish. With the word sent out across the nursing home, in came more chairs – wheelchairs, that is. "Don't you love the feel of lotion," a college student said to an 80-something former pianist. "Ohhh," sighed the lady being pampered. "It feels so nice; it's like a hand massage." Moving in and out of the action at the tables was Jessica Spencer, who was dividing her time between welcoming new guests, arranging goodies and being refreshment sheriff. When host- ess-in-chief at a nursing home party, it becomes quite important to know who can eat that and who may drink this. It would be both an overstatement and understatement to say that the op- eration belonged to Spencer, who would graduate from C-N in less than a month. An overstatement, as Spencer is first to note, because it could not have happened without fellow students who made it a success, but a serious understatement in that the call to fulfill the wishes of nursing home residents is something born in her heart and then planned in her head. The glam-fest was in April, when her organization was but four months old. It had taken shape in her spirit when she noticed that out of the myriad service and social engagement opportunities Carson-Newman offers, there was nothing for the geriatric set. Having seen the needs of older adults first- hand during a pair of internships, she started looking for a campus organi- zation through which she could volunteer to help. When she saw that none existed, she figured out what she wanted to do and ultimately attracted some 20 fellow students to help out. In January she took the name, Dream Catchers, and a plan that was mostly dreams held together by hope and pitched it to Jennifer Henderson, execu- tive director of Life Care of Jefferson City. The name fits; they catch dreams. For almost a year now they have interviewed residents and patients to see if they have requests that may be fulfilled while there is time. "It's like the Make-A-Wish Foundation, but for the elderly," explained Jes- sica, taking a few minutes to talk during one of the other nine events she 18 JOURNEY fall 2011 Amy Kinzel '11 paints fingernails for a new friend as part of last spring's Girl's Glamour Night. She is one of dozens of students who have invested themselves over the last year to help fulfill wishes for Life Care residents.