Students Adjusting Well, Making New Friends

Ty and Adele Harrington work on the art component for a banner that will be presented to Jamestown Hospital, thanking everyone for letting students stay there during the flood crisis.

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It’s day three at our relocation sites. The Anne Carlsen Center students have been adjusting well, enjoying fun activities like mural-making and science projects, and forming new friends with every smile. Our hosts (Jamestown Hospital, Jamestown Civic Center, Heritage Centre-Ave Maria Village, and Hi-Acres Manor) have been extremely gracious.

ACC staff has responded superbly since the evacuation late Monday afternoon, acting quickly and providing excellent care.

“Our staff is amazing,” says CEO Dan Howell. “They have demonstrated adaptability, calmness, creativity and cooperation – I couldn’t be prouder.”

ACC staff has been supported by staff and resources at our four hosts throughout the city.

“It’s so heartwarming to see the community support,” says COO Marcia Gums. “We’ve seen how much people care about the Anne Carlsen Center and the individuals we serve. What a beautiful example of the American Spirit.”

That community support has also been evidenced by the tremendous response by sandbagging volunteers. Community members, business owners, Jamestown College students, and many others have joined with ACC staff to protect the campus buildings from the threat of overland flooding.

The students are adjusting well to their new surroundings. ACC staff at each of the four locations is providing continuity of care – medical, dietary, therapy, education, etc. – in a calm, reassuring atmosphere.

ACC therapists, in addition to providing care to all 56 students, are continuing to meet the needs of their more than 50 outpatient clients in the region. They have set up their temporary headquarters at Atonement Lutheran Church. Therapeutic tools such as mats and balls are being taken from location to location.

At the Jamestown Hospital on Thursday, there was mural-making, current events, newspaper education, and a variety of other learning activities. The Jamestown Civic Center has been named “Camp Flood” by staff and students. They’ve had lots of fun incorporating camp-like activities into the curriculum, and there was even a “barracks check” by staff. Students with the tidiest areas and most well-made beds were recognized during an awards ceremony.

At Hi-Acres Manor, there may be snow outside, but inside -- friendships are blossoming!! The residents love having the students close by, and many enjoyable conversations and interactions have taken place. In fact, there’s talk now of continuing the relationship between ACC and Hi-Acres when the flood threat subsides! At Heritage Centre-Ave Maria, students dyed Easter Eggs and wrote thank-you cards to their hosts, which have provided clean towels, healthy meals (in partnership with ACC dietary staff), and even a comedy on the big screen! Here also, there have been pleasant interactions with the residents.