On December 7th, 2024 from 1 to 4 PM, the Roslyn and Great Neck branch of AYLUS joined
the residents of CP Nassau’s East Meadow group home for an afternoon of fun. CP Nassau
provides a variety of programs and services to help individuals with cerebral palsy reach their
full potential. These services include medical and primary care, therapy, education, and
community integration programs. They also have group homes for adults with cerebral palsy to
live in, which we visited.
First, we started off by making tasty holiday treats. The residents eagerly helped us mix molten
marshmallows, butter and rice crispy puffs together to make our own holiday rice krispie treats.
We placed the tray into the fridge for an hour. During that hour, we played Monopoly. Two
residents, Tony and Kevin, two enthusiastic residents, were particularly excited about the new
version of the game, which encouraged strategic cheating. Everyone was eager to try the new
rules. By then, the rice krispies treats had cooled and were ready to serve. We cut the treats
into ornaments, snowmen, gingerbread men, and Christmas trees. Everyone was so excited to
finally eat the rice krispies and everyone had at least 2. After our snack, we started on arts and
crafts. Some of the residents made ornaments with paint pens and stuck on gems to create their
own sparkly decorations to display on their own Christmas trees. Additionally, others made
Christmas trees using tape and colorful markers for the house to display. As the afternoon wore
on, some residents began to tire and left to rest. With the remaining group, we enjoyed a few
rounds of Uno, a classic favorite. The residents were very sad to see us leave and were looking
forward to our return next time.
Overall, we had so much fun working with the residents of CP Nassau. They told such great
stories and gave us a new perspective on life. Volunteering at CP Nassau is always a
heartwarming experience that teaches valuable lessons that will last a lifetime. We were
delighted to collaborate with the Great Neck branch and hope to return soon.
Reporter: Letao Tao
3 hours: Letao Tao, Leo Zheng, Haoyang Sun, Maggie Xiao, Angelika Jiang, Michael Zhang
