WSSU NASO

Meal Volunteer

By: Patrick Lancaster     

It has been an honor to serve the community through great aspects every third Thursday of the month with Winston-Salem State University’s Non-Traditional Adult Student organization (NASO). We as an organization enjoy every minute that we are there to interact and relax with the patients and families. I remember my first experience at the Family House and experiencing first hand what the Family House and the outreach that NASO provides.

Even though there are a lot of community groups who come and feed the patients and their families each day, there is just something about it when WSSU-NASO comes, it just seems to brighten up their day.

There are always different patients and families each time we come, so the people you meet here and the stories that are experienced are amazing and since serving there the stories that I remember are what I am going to share.

One evening we served breakfast for supper (who doesn’t enjoy that) and sometimes we are low on volunteers and the patients or family members will notice and come and help prepare the meals. This night a patient had noticed this and asked, “can I help”? He noticed there was no gravy and he wanted to make the gravy from scratch. This incident was very warming to the group, not just because he made some good gravy for the meal, but he interacted with us and discussed how he missed cooking in the restaurant he used to work at before becoming ill.

The second heartwarming story was the impact that we have on them while we are there. This story started while my grandfather was a patient at Baptist Hospital on the cancer floor. I had met a lady who was from out of state and her husband was a patient there and we began to talk, then I asked her, where are you staying? She then replied, “SECU Family House”, and I shared with her on how the organization I am apart of serves there and she was blessed for what we do and the Family House staff. The other encounter was in the elevator at the hospital and a lady recognized me from serving at the family house and was so appreciative for what we do. As the current President of NASO it is so amazing to see the outpouring of students that want to help and interact with guests there at the SECU Family House.

About Patrick: Hello, my name is Patrick Lancaster and I serve as the current 2017-2018 President of NASO at Winston-Salem State University. This organization is for Non-Traditional Adult Students on the campus of Winston-Salem State University. Since attending Winston-Salem State University for now a full year, it has been a privilege serving the patients and their families at the SECU Family House.