Western Nevada College students in the Construction Management Program volunteered their time at Solista Carson to help with handyman services to seniors who needed them.
Some had new bathroom cabinets they wanted built, and some just needed a hand rearranging their furniture.
Kyle Dalpe, the President of Western Nevada College, says this is the second time they've partnered with the senior community and described how the event works.
"They'll be here, and they're getting their little project sheets, and the students are working through what their needs are," he said. "They've already speced out what the tools are. They went in and grabbed a pen toolbox with a bunch of things, and they brought it in, and they're going to go around the center here and fix, touch up, and do the projects one by one, almost like a room service called order.”
Organizers say that things that could be considered a simple task for some might be seen as a bigger challenge to others, and that’s why it’s important to have the students help.
They also say students really enjoy using what they've learned in class and applying their skills to help the community.
Nigel Harrison is the Western Nevada College Construction Project Management Professor, and he is the one who helped get this event started last year.
He shared a little bit of what the seniors needed from the students: “Some of them are everything from moving furniture to installing grab bars to hanging plants to installing a flat screen TV on the wall, so we're just kind of using our skills that we learned in the construction program.”
Many of the students who volunteered say they got into construction because of the feeling they get once a project is done, and after helping with this event, they say the same about the smiles they see from the residents once they've helped them.
Kenneth Bogle is a first-year Western Nevada College student, and after finding out about this event, he said he felt obligated to help.
"People don't necessarily have the time to come down and, you know, help with certain things," he said. "So things can kind of get pushed off, and it might be a little bit dangerous for certain individuals to try to do certain things like that by themselves, like hanging these cabinets and things of that nature, so I think that it's a great thing that we're able to come out here and assist with that."
Solista Carson said the residents enjoy having the students come in to help them, and it even gets them excited for the day. The residents say it's refreshing to see the youth work hard.
