This year, the sixth grade service project has been at Eastside Rehabilitation Center. The center is located in Milwaukee. It is a residential service, which helps elderly and other patients with disabilities.  The sixth grade was divided into groups of seven, and each group visited on a different Tuesday. For each trip, there were two parents and one teacher in a group. When my group got there, we were the first group to go, we spoke to the person who was in charge, and she told us that we would be bowling that day. Then, we went to some of the residents’ rooms and pushed their wheelchairs to the cafeteria, which is also their meeting place. After that, we set up some plastic pins and got out a really beaten-up plastic bowling bowl.

After preparing for bowling, we went and spoke with some of the residents. Most were really happy, but some really missed their homes. In which case, we simply nodded and tried to change the subject. It was really sad to see them like this. Finally, we went bowling with the residents! After we finished bowling, we had a cookie and some punch. Yum! For some people, the experience was great, but for some it was uncomfortable due to their past experiences going to nursing homes. It did remind me of my great grandma and her nursing home in the beginning, but then I got used to it over the next hour and had a great time.

On other trips, some people played Bingo and won prizes, others went caroling through the home, and, as we did, some groups bowled. Some  students may get a chance to visit again, and I would like to be one of the those people. After going, I realized that I am very lucky to spend time in the nursing home. It was a great experience for me and my classmates.