On Saturday, September 6th, from 1 to 4 pm, six AYLUS Roslyn members volunteered at CP Nassau’s Bethpage residential home.
When the volunteers arrived, five members (Maxim Li, Austin Guo, Jason Wei, Leo Zheng, and Lily Zhang) began the session while Connie Lin joined about half an hour later. We started the afternoon with arts and crafts activities. Residents used squeezable paints and markers to decorate plastic templates. One of the residents colored a hot air balloon, while others chose different designs such as a lion or one that spelled out “LOVE.” Each resident enjoyed picking out their colors and holding on to their new artworks
Afterwards, we started to make bracelets with colorful beads. One resident made a green bracelet with his initials on it, another created a colorful pink bracelet spelling out her name. One resident proudly designed an American-style bracelet with red, white, and blue beads. The volunteers assisted the residents in threading beads, tying the strings, and making sure each bracelet fit comfortably.
Usually, the volunteers bring baking ingredients to make a treat during the visit, but this time we brought along homemade macadamia nut cookies instead. Most of the residents were excited to try them, except one with food allergies. The cookies were still enjoyed by the group and it was a nice break for both the residents and the volunteers.
Next, we introduced scratch-off crafts. Residents used plastic sticks to scratch off the surface of cards, revealing designs underneath. One resident revealed the image of a lady and decorated it with jewels. Multiple residents uncovered a green monster, and the volunteers helped turn it into a fun decoration by attaching green “dangling legs” at the bottom of the card. These crafts were hung up onto the fridge to proudly display the hard work put into them by all of the residents
The afternoon continued with games. First, we played Bingo. One resident volunteered to call out the number. Everyone focused on their cards, and after almost every number called, a resident was thrilled to win by filling in an entire card. Following Bingo, we set up multiple rounds of Jenga. Volunteers assisted the residents in stacking the towers and guiding them on which blocks to pull.
Toward the end of the visit, we went for a walk outside. Unfortunately, it was windy and rain clouds formed overhead, so we turned back halfway around the block. Even though it was short, the residents still got out of the house and stretched their legs. We ended our visit shortly after this.
All the volunteers had a great time with the residents and we hope to return in the near future!
Members who participated (3 hours): Maxim Li, Austin Guo, Jason Wei, Leo Zheng, Lily Zhang
Member who participated (2.5 hours): Connie Lin
Reporter: Jason Wei
