Ellia Vanderwerff, a senior at University of Michigan, has been a volunteer with Conversations to Remember (C2R) since October 2022. She began as a volunteer on a weekly call with a senior citizen, but was quickly identified as a leader who could assist C2R with the training of new volunteers.
Ellia Vanderwerff, a senior at University of Michigan, has been a volunteer with Conversations to Remember (C2R) since October 2022. She began as a volunteer on a weekly call with a senior citizen, but was quickly identified as a leader who could assist C2R with the training of new volunteers.
Currently, Ellia does a video call once per week with a senior, and occasionally substitutes in on other calls if needed. As a volunteer trainer, Ellia works directly with the C2R administration to help guide new volunteers who want to join the weekly video calls. As a volunteer trainer, Ellia participates in mock calls with new volunteers, provides advice, and helps them prepare for their own calls. Recently, Ellia has also begun training new volunteer trainers too.
Ellia enjoys the video calls she has each week with the senior. On their calls, they get to share updates on their lives and exchange stories. “I look forward to telling her stories, and I know that she’s always excited to tell me about her week,” Ellia said. She feels that the most memorable part of volunteering is the excitement of the student volunteers getting to share updates about their week at the beginning of each weekly call.
Being a volunteer at Conversations to Remember has positively impacted Ellia. She explained that it is truly enjoyable getting to talk with everyone and getting to share what’s going in her life. Ellia describes that being a volunteer has also made her a lot more appreciative and aware of the importance of every conversation that she’s having.
Overall, Ellia says that she would definitely recommend other students get involved at Conversations to Remember. “I’d say that everybody should try it out.”