For this week's Summer College Intern Takeover, we're hearing from Grace Sacco and Daniella Acosta who are interning with our Kosher Meals at Home program. Below they share some reflections on their internship experience as it comes to a close:
Daniella Acosta
My name is Daniella Acosta, and I am in intern with Kosher Meals at Home (KMH). I am a rising senior at NYU majoring in Social Work with a minor in Public Policy. At KMH, I call our clients weekly to place their meal order every week. In addition, I have an older adult whom I speak with weekly basis. In addition to calling older adults, I also do data entry into the Salesforce platform and meet with the other college interns for educational meetings.
During my time at DOROT, I have been able to learn more about my career goals and the field of social work. I have also been able to make connections with older adults, showing that our age does not affect our relationship. It is truly heartwarming when older adults mention that they look forward to me calls every week. On July 26, KMH hosted our Meet, Greet, Eat that focused on “Summer Delights”. Older adults shared their fondest summer memories and favorite summer treats. Robert Brajer (84) shared his excitement of seeing KMH Intern Grace (who shares below), as she calls him weekly for his meals. It is so rewarding to see and hear the impact DOROT has!
Grace Sacco
Hi! My name is Grace Sacco, and I am from New Jersey. I am a rising senior at Syracuse University majoring in social work and public communications.
At DOROT, I have been working as part of the Kosher Meals at Home team. Along with the weekly meal calls, I have been able to visit KMH clients in person. Something special about the program is clients have the opportunity to receive a visitor for about an hour on or near their birthday. When an older adult accepts a visit, I bring them a cupcake and card from DOROT. The birthday visits have been one of the most valuable parts of my internship experience thus far. It has been incredibly fulfilling being able to make someone feel extra appreciated on their special day.
This experience overall has taught me how kindness goes a long way. Being a part of the KMH team has provided me with many different opportunities to connect with older adults. At our virtual “Meet, Greet, and Eat”, it was a lot of fun watching participants bond with each other over similar memories they have. Once again, it proved to me how important it is to feel socially connected to others.
With the final weeks of the internship nearing, I feel incredibly lucky to have been able to work with an amazing, passionate team who is always striving to improve the lives of older adults.
Thank you to Daniella, Grace and all of our amazing Summer Interns!