On July 12, 2023, members of the Raritan Valley Branch spent time with the seniors at the Paradise Adult Day Health Care Center in Somerset. The activities included hosting a piano performance, passing around the cup like the game “hot potato”, and making origami.
In the first activity, the piano performers each played 1-2 songs that expressed a variety of moods, ranging from calm to energetic, all of which were enjoyed by the elders. In the second activity, as one volunteer was drumming for a random amount of time, the people seated at each table passed around a cup. Once the drummer stopped, whoever held the cup received a prize. The next activity allowed the elderly to practice their hand-eye coordination while enjoying a simple song. In the video shown, the people repeated a series of moves with a cup that went along with the music. Lastly, we did origami. The AYLUS members split up and gave the seniors origami paper and corresponding instructions. The seniors took their completed origami home for decoration or took the paper home to continue working.
At the end of the event, the volunteers were given a standing ovation and invitations for future events at this senior center. This event was a gratifying experience, generating feelings of joy, pride, and fulfillment for all volunteers. The appreciation that the elders displayed strengthened the volunteers’ sense of responsibility and drive them to further dedicate their time and energy to volunteer work. It also ignited a sense of motivation, reminding all volunteers of the positive change they are capable of and encouraging them to continue their volunteer efforts.
Reporter: Irwin Wang
Activity Lead: Irwin Wang (2.5 hours), Albert Y He (2 hours)
Participants (2 hours each): Vivian Sun, Dylan Ing, Irwin Wang, Nicholas Wan, Nichelle Garcia, Paula Marcos
