This year of service has been one of the most significant years of my life.

I volunteer at Georgia Infirmary Adult Day Health Center, a day care center for clients with disabilities or chronic illnesses. I am the recreation coordinator, so my job is essentially to be a daily companion for the clients. The center consists of about 40 clients, five nursing assistants, one registered nurse, and one licensed practical nurse. On my first day, I immediately realized that they were a close-knit group. I also realized that there was a unique culture and a set of unspoken rules that I would have to learn and adapt to. It was intimidating at first.

I get to work at 8:00 a.m. every day. The clients slowly trickle in from 7:30 to 9:00 a.m. or not at all, depending on how reliable the transportation feels like being that day. The mornings are normally the calmest and most peaceful time of day. When clients arrive, a nursing assistant checks them in and takes their temperature. All the clients have assigned and unassigned seats, one of the first unspoken rules I learned.

Each morning, I walk through the side doors into the day care center, and one of the clients is there to greet me. He is in his mid-thirties. He was born with cerebral palsy and a love for Mountain Dew. Before I can ask him how he is doing, I have to grab his daily Mountain Dew from his backpack and take it to the refrigerator. He has his priorities straight. Then we proceed with our morning routine: a super cool handshake and an exchange about what we had for dinner the night before.

Depending on the day, we have different activities and events. On Monday and Tuesday mornings, a pastor comes in to lead Bible study. Tuesday and Friday afternoons are dedicated to bingo. Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday are “Betsy’s Choice.”

Coming up with activities was challenging at first because the clients have a wide range of abilities and interests. I could not figure out how to plan activities that would engage everyone. However, with time and by learning from past mistakes, I have come to realize that the way I frame an activity is the key to participation. If I mention the possibility of winning a prize, participation is almost guaranteed. I have also learned that while some people like to be at the center of every activity, others cherish the chance to sit back and watch.

I love my work because I am able to build real relationships with the clients every day. Being there all year has made it easier to earn their trust little by little. Now they expect to see me each day and get excited about what we will do next. It feels really good to look back on my first week and see how much has changed.

I think the biggest lesson I have learned this year is about gratitude. The power of noticing the goodness in moments that feel mundane, uncomfortable, or repetitive. This learning has come from my clients, who have an incredible ability to find joy in the smallest details. One moment that stays with me happened during a routine morning shot, which one client calls her “tickles.” I walked past the nurse’s station and heard her say excitedly, “Your hands aren’t cold this time! Let the church say thank God, hallelujah!” Watching clients like her has reshaped how I see my own days, reminding me that gratitude is not about perfect circumstances, but about choosing to see the good that is already there.

My manager often says, “No day here is the same,” and that is what I love most about it. The unpredictability keeps the work both exciting and challenging, and it has taught me to stay present, patient, and flexible.

At the end of the day, my goal is simply to make people smile. It is what truly makes me come alive.

Betsy Van Meter: Savannah, Georgia