Community Service: Return To Green Gables

Yesterday I returned to where Grandad works, Green Gables Rest Home in Nelson.  Tea was scheduled for later than usual so my Grandad made up some questionaires to ask the kind and friendly residents, to show them some attention as visitors can be few.  I sat down with my pen and paper and  politely asked them some well thought out questions, including where they were during World War II.

I questioned five people for their details and then shook their old, kind and friendly hands.

A big thanks to those ladies who spent some time with me.  I really enjoyed myself.  Josh.

Here are two of the five questionaires.

Community Service:  7 hours to date

Flo and I

Val and I

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Community Service: Beach Clean Up

Today I continued on with my community service with a local beach clean up - Tahuna Beach.  I walked along 1. 5 km of the beach for 1 hour picking up pieces of litter and tossing them into my supermarket bag.  I found beer bottles/cans, cigarette butts, plastic tape, potato chip packets, cardboard and many, many more types of litter.

I was amazed at how little rubbish was on the beach and how well the rubbish bins were actually being used, most full to the top with rubbish!  Also, I was a little disappointed with the adults that the beer cans and bottles were not put into one of the several rubbish bins along the beach.

Community Service:  5 hours to date

Me with the bags of rubbish after half an hour.

One of the two bags of litter collected.

Planting the Seedlings

On Saturday I slipped on some gloves, jumped into some old clothes and slapped on some sunblock, now I was ready to plant some veggies.

I got into the garden and laid down newspaper to stop weeds coming up, followed by lots of pea-straw.   After that Dad and my brothers wheelbarrowed some soil to me off the trailer while I dug out the garden.  Next, I got the trusty 'ole' rake and smoothed out the soil.  After about an hour of that, I started digging small holes to place some veggies into.  Meanwhile my brothers were separating the plants and handing them to me.  I continued to plant everything while thinking about how much greens we are going to have in our dinner in the coming months...... out of MY homegrown garden!

Called on the brothers for a hand.

Concentrate!

One of us is working, the other thinks he is a scarecrow!

Community Service: Day 2 at Green Gables

Last Thursday I returned to Green Gables with Grandad where I helped to serve drinks at Happy Hour.  Then I went into the kitchen and put on my hair net and spooned all the soup into cups for the residents in the hospital ward.  Next I was serving soup and meat to the residents of the rest home (I even got told off by a grumpy lady because I didn't put enough soup into a bowl!!). 

Community Service:   4 hours to date

I Started My Community Service

Today I scooted down to where my Grandad works, Green Gables Rest Home.  At 3:30pm I met Grandad at his house.  We walked across the road and we had a look around, then Grandad introduced me to alot of the staff and residents.  One lovely lady named Flo and I had a conversation about where I go to school and why I'm doing this.  We helped Flo into the wheelchair and we all went for a walk around the neighborhood.  Grandad said Flo is a good one to take for a walk because she is so light!  Later I helped serve dinner and give out the tomato sauce.  Today was a sad day for Green Gables and for Nelson as a local identity passed away.  To pay our respects I helped Grandad lower the flag to half-mast.

                              

My Grandad and one of the residents.