The team picking up and bagging leaves, twigs, branches, trash, etc. from around Gertrude’s house
Early mornings finds Hilton Head’s beach teeming with people who are waiting for the sun to rise over the Pacific. Hosts of diverse eateries, eclectic shops and branch stores are scattered throughout Hilton Head. Numerous golf courses makes Hilton Head a playground for those who enjoy playing golf.
Before Hilton Head became a mecca for those who can afford beach vacations, shopping extravaganzas and rounds and rounds of golf, Hilton Head was inhabited by freed slaves who became known as Gullahs. There are still plots of land on Hilton Head which are owned by Gullahs. As the Gullah owners age, they struggle to keep up keeping up their places. The team spent time at two of these home cleaning up the homes’ yards and mowing the grass. Rita is an AIM contact person on Hilton Head. Rita sets up the homes where teams go to to do whatever. Rita was always with the team while the team was at the home sites that she had set up for the team. Rita spent an evening over a meal with the team. As Rita told her story, the team had the chance to get to know her more as well as to hear more of Hilton Head’s history. The was a sense that Rita was encouraged from being around the team.
Hilton Head is also a place where some people go to when they reach retirement age. There are very nice retirement centers on Hilton Head. Sandy is AIM’s contact person at one of these retirement centers. Before most of the team spent time with the residents during one of the residents’ scheduled interactive times, the team spent time sprucing up two of the center’s patio areas. Sandy was very pleased how well the team was able to relate to the residents who are at her retirement center. There was a sense that Sandy herself was very encouraged to have a team that was made up of older participants who she obviously enjoyed having at her retirement center.
A Hilton Head daycare center that cares for well over 200 children is answering the growing need for a place where working parents can leave their children as they work their day jobs. Most of the team was given the chance to break up in pairs and to go to different rooms where they were able to help the person who was responsible in the room by interacting with the children. AIM’s contact at the daycare center had Joseph – the daycare’s janitor, line up a couple of task jobs for a couple of the team’s participants. The smile on Joseph’s face as the team left communicated someone being very happy with how well the tasks were done.
