On Saturday, January 25th, 2025, members of the Roslyn AYLUS Branch volunteered at one the Cerebral Palsy Association of Nassau County group homes from 1:00pm to 4:00pm. CP Nassau is an organization dedicated to helping individuals with disabilities reach their highest levels of independence.
We started off with making non-alcoholic jello shots, where residents gathered together to help mix water and gelatin and pour them into cups. They were then refrigerated for 2 hours. While we were waiting for the jello to solidify, we made valentines day cards using stamps, stencils, markers, paint, stickers, and small bags of candy. The residents selected what they wanted on their card, and the volunteers assisted the residents, helping them through hand-over-hand assistance, or guiding them through the process. After making the valentines day cards, we took the jello out of the refrigerator and the residents decorated their jello with whipped cream and a few different types of sprinkles. After enjoying the jello, we played a couple rounds of bingo and worked together on a puzzle of a map of the U.S. states and their capitals.
Throughout these activities, the residents had varying independence levels and the volunteers aided them according to their individual needs. Some residents were nonverbal and used other methods of communication, other residents needed aid with hand-eye coordination during crafting activities. The residents enjoyed these activities, even sticking stickers on their wheelchairs, and we are very glad to bring something new and fun into their routine.
Participants: Brooke Zheng (3 hours), Michael Zhang (3 hours), Leo Zheng (3 hours), Austin Guo (3 hours), Angelika Jiang (3 hours), Letao Tao (3 hours)
Reporter: Brooke Zheng
