Service learning

Remy Markwell Kin 471s 14 November 2019 Service Site Paper This semester I spent my time servicing at the Montage Wellness Center in Marina. The Wellness Center is incorporated by the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula, also referred as CHOMP. To be accepted as one of their service-learning students, I had to commit to several hours of getting personal information such as: my vaccination list, fill out a background check form, get the flu shot, get a TB test, and get drug tested. This was all needed because I was servicing at a place ran by a Hospital and they did not want anyone passing several contaminated diseases to patients or workers. Even though the process of being accepted to service at the Wellness was anal and tiring, the benefits that came with definitely outweigh them. There were three Wellness Centers/Hospitals I could have serviced at: Monterey, Marina, or Salinas. I opted to service at the Center in Marina because it was very conveniently close to where I live. Below is a map showing where the Wellness Center is located within its community. The red pinpoint shows where the location of the Wellness Center is located within its community. There is a shopping center located on the other side of the street which includes Target, Best Buy, and Starbucks. More south is our campus, California State University of Monterey Bay (CSUMB). I live a mile north of the Wellness Center, so it is very convenient for me to get there. It takes me 5-7 min to get there. At the Wellness Center there are many rows of parking spots: Handicap parking closer to the entrance and more all around. I always find parking when I am there. The main entrance is motion censored doors, because many of the people who go there are differently abled and may even have a wheelchair. Everything is modernized at the Wellness Center and in great conditioned. Buses come and go through the side streets which is right outside the Center. The Wellness Center is composed of many facilities: a rehab center (where I service at), two gyms: one for pass holders and another in the rehab center which is used by patients, a small pool used for rehab purposes like pool therapy, an Olympic sized pool for open use and also includes a jacuzzi. This Wellness Center was made for those in dire need of rehabilitation and is giving them the chance to feel new. The mission statement of CHOMP is “Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula is dedicated to identifying and meeting the changing healthcare needs of the people of the Monterey Peninsula and surrounding communities. We are committed to providing high-quality services at a competitive cost and within a safe environment. We provide educational and public service programs to enhance the health of our community and the competence of those who provide the service. We are committed to caring for all who come through our doors, regardless of ability to pay, to the fullest extent allowed by law and available resources (CHOMP, 2019).” I feel a special connection with this mission because I get to be a part of something so meaningful and special. Being able to see people come in and out of the Wellness Center, feeling better and with smiles on their faces is something you do not forget. After a day of service here, I was even more committed to the career I have chosen to be a part of. At first, I was kind of intimidated being surrounded by doctors, but grew into a relationship with them. I have interned at a couple other places, so I knew the gist of what I would be doing there. I shadow the doctors while they tend to the patients, meaning I stand there observing. It can be awkward at times because I stand there like a pole, though to break the ice I try to engage in conversation and ask questions. The Montage Wellness Center is in the city of Marina. Marina has a total of around 23,000 people, as of 2017, and is almost equal in gender population of make/females. The median age of the Marina population is 37 years old. As of 2017, the community is mostly made up of all white alone individuals (37.1%), however there is a variety of other races such as Asian (17.4%), Hispanic (26.6%), and African American (6.4%). As of March 2019, the cost of living index of Marina is 108 which is slightly higher than the United States average of 100. In 2016, the rate of people living in poverty in Marina was 17% which is a big amount. The average income of the population in Marina is $59,938, which is pretty low to get by these days. The average income would be hard to pay housing, food, and other accommodates while living in Marina, which would explain why so many people live in poor conditions. Crime rate in Marina is below the United States average by a substantial amount. Most crimes that occur in Marina are petty theft and burglaries. These crimes also tie in with the high rates of poverty in Marina. These city statistics tells me the average person is a middle-aged man/woman, makes roughly $60,000/year, and lives in a small house or town house. I interviewed two physical therapists who work in the Rehabilitation department of the Wellness Center. This first physical therapist I interviewed was Jil Johnson who has worked at the Wellness Center for a few years. When I asked her how she feels working there she went on about how she really enjoyed it and loved helping people get back to their full potential. The second physical therapist I interviewed, Jasmine S., shared the same feelings. They both commute from outside Marina to go to work, so they know little about the community life in Marina. However, they both liked having a nice place to work where they feel safe and share conversations amongst patients. They also liked how it is close to a shopping center and CSUMB, which allows for students who are in service learning to be close to their site. They both agreed that the Wellness Center is very conveniently placed for everyone’s access. The main resource I would have to say that is in the Marina community is the Montage Wellness Center. The Wellness Center is a huge asset because it is composed of many facilities: a rehab center, two gyms: one for pass holders and another in the rehab center which is used by patients, a small pool used for rehab purposes like pool therapy, an Olympic sized pool for open use and also includes a jacuzzi. This Wellness Center was made for those in dire need of rehabilitation and is giving them the chance to feel new. There are also personal trainers and massage therapists affiliated with the Wellness Center so anyone in need can be helped. If you need help exercising to shape your body then there are the personal trainers, if you are sore then you can make a massage appointment, and if you injure yourself then there are numerous physical therapists who can help you get back to your normal self. Another asset in Marina is the huge shopping center that is located across the street of the Wellness Center. The shopping center includes Target, Best Buy, REI, Party City, many food places, a gym, a movie theatre, and of course Starbucks. Anything you may need clothes, groceries, electronics, coffee, or a good workout you can go to The Dunes Shopping Center. Another big asset in Marina is the CSUMB campus. The school is accessible to those who are accepted to go there and who want to take classes. The campus is decently sized with three main housing areas, student center, a library, dining commons, Starbucks, and a gym. The campus shares city lines between Marina and Seaside. The campus consists of around 10,000 students and gives jobs to many faculty members and construction workers. Marina has many assets that give jobs, has entertainment, get your daily groceries, resources that help shape your health, and many others. I believe the most challenging part of my service is seeing so many people coming into the Rehabilitation Center with injuries and discomforts. Most of the people I service are older, so it is hard to see them work so hard to recover and sometimes not see improvement. Marina is also surrounded by freeways and a lot of streets, so if an individual does not have a resource of transportation it is somewhat hard to get around town. Marina is also filled with busy streets and a lot of intersections, so crossing the road can be difficult if you are an elderly person. However, transportation is a small challenge, since there are a lot of bus stops that stop on the hour and is accessible everywhere around town. It is also fairly cheap to travel around by bus. Another challenge in the community is the crime rate, however it is relatively low, you have to always be alert. The most frequent crime that happens in Marina is petty theft or burglaries, so those who have cars should lock their doors. The Wellness Center contributes to classism by demonstrating equality to members or patients of all classes. Since, the cost of living is relatively high in Marina and the overall average household income is so low, an environment like the Montage Wellness Center is necessary because it provides healthy resources for families who cannot afford a full membership or services. I feel ableism is the main topic/’ism’ my site contributes to. Since, all of the individuals I serve to are injured or of older age, they often feel discouraged or embarrassed to be serviced at the Rehab center. While being there I have to keep in mind of how I morally and socially act around these individuals. Some of the older people we service to are in wheelchairs, so we have to accommodate to their conditions. The wellness center has automatic doors, helpers up front to push the individuals in wheelchairs, if they need it, and of course the physical therapists who tend to the individuals who need to be rehabilitated back to normal. It is hard to compare myself to the individuals I tend to in the Rehabilitation center because we serve so many individuals with various identity aspects such as: race, class, age, ability, and health status. The similarities I share the most would be race and class. Even though we service to individuals of every race and class, I do see more white, middle class people. I would think this was the case since Physical Therapy can be expensive and some insurance companies don’t cover the costs of the visits. The differences between me and the individuals based on identity are age and ability. I am younger than the individuals I service and tend to be more abled, because I am not receiving any Physical Therapy for past injuries. The Wellness Center is much needed in this community. A lot of people come for many reasons: exercising at the gym, exercising with a personal trainer, using the pool, or even visiting the rehab center for physical therapy. The Wellness Center gives the community healthy resources to use on the daily, without it people would have to drive miles to find the next best thing. References “Marina, California.” Marina, California (CA 93933, 93955) Profile: Population, Maps, Real Estate, Averages, Homes, Statistics, Relocation, Travel, Jobs, Hospitals, Schools, Crime, Moving, Houses, News, Sex Offenders, City-Data.com, http://www.city-data.com/city/Marina-California.html. “Montage Wellness Center - Open to the Public.” Montage Wellness Center - Marina and Salinas, CA, Montage Health, 2019, https://www.montagewellnesscenter.com/main/#.XdOFnS3MxN0.