On Saturday, 7 September 2024, from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM, the AYLUS Great Neck and Roslyn Branches went to volunteer at the Chapman house. This house is run by the Cerebral Palsy Association of Nassau, CP Nassau, where their mission is to provide quality services for children and adults with disabilities to move forward to reach their highest level of independence.
During our time at the house, we did many different activities and made sure to include all the residents. We decided to start with art, where we had fabric bags to decorate. Each volunteer partnered up with a resident and assisted them in coloring and customizing their own bag. These bags turned out great, and we even hung some on the wall! We then took a small break where everyone enjoyed a sweet treat. Afterwards, the residents wanted to play some games, so we decided to bring out the bingo. The bingo was a success and we played multiple rounds. We also played uno and did puzzles. Before heading out, we had some fun with gem stickers, using them as earrings and nail decoration.
Through volunteering with CP Nassau, we learned how to be inclusive and overcome communication barriers. Different residents require different aid and we made sure to figure out how we could help, for example using more hand on hand assistance or asking questions. Helping others teaches us important lessons like being patient and understanding. Overall, everyone had a great time and hoped to come back again.
Participants:
Great Neck – Maggie Xiao (3 hours), Serena Chen (3 hours)
Roslyn – Angelika Jiang (3 hours), Brooke Zheng (3 hours), Leo Zheng (3 hours), Kyle Shih (3 hours),
Reporter, Angelika Jiang