By Ashley Jun
(Ashley Jun volunteered at ACC Care Center this summer. She’s a sophomore McClatchy High School in Sacramento and wants to pursue a career in occupational therapy or behavior therapy for children with autism and mental disabilities. Pictured left to right: Kathie Williams, Zyra Bonita, Ashley Jun, and Debra Williams.)
In the span of just a month, I learned firsthand what it means to be a genuinely kind person. From walking into my orientation at ACC Care Center to walking out on my last day there, I’ve been welcomed with nothing but smiles and care.
Personally, I got into this volunteer position by absolute chance, but I couldn’t be more thankful for that. It was my summer program with Asian Resources Inc. that provided me with the option between two opportunities: ACC and another. However, my decision was ultimately swayed for the Activities Department with the ACC Care Center.
I learned that this opportunity correlated with my passions for making people happy and helping those who may not be able to for themselves. Games like bingo and memory magic showed me the background work that often times goes unnoticed, but it’s what the Activity Department does that makes life for the residents that much more enjoyable everyday.
I couldn’t count the number of times I would saw Debbie, Kathie, or Zyra running out the office just to make someone feel more personally cared for. These three wonderful women are behind every party and event hosted for the ACC Care Center. I would like to thank them for inspiring me.
I’m a high schooler who sees a lot of “fake” kindness, but all three of them restored my faith in the idea that there are genuinely kind people out there. I understand how cheesy this sounds, like a campaign commercial, but it was exactly what I experienced. All it took was three great women and a good game of blackjack with the residents to inspire me to always be kind and helpful to others.
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