On Saturday, March 21st, from 1:00 to 3:00 PM, three members of the AYLUS Roslyn branch visited CP Nassau’s residential home.
We began the visit by greeting all of the residents, since it has been a couple of weeks since our last visit. It was nice to reconnect with everyone and see how they had been doing. After arriving, we started our first activity of the day which was baking cookies together. The residents were very involved in the process, helping pour and mix the ingredients. Then, we worked together to shape the cookies. Finally, we placed them in the oven.
While the cookies were baking and cooling, we moved on to arts and crafts. First, we worked on decorating little bags. We helped the residents who were participating with us design and color their own bags, and we also made extra ones for residents who were not able to join us. The handbags turned out very colorful, and everyone seemed proud of their work. After that, we continued with Easter-themed crafts. We decorated wooden eggs using a variety of festive colors. We made many of these so that each resident could have several to put in their bags.
In addition to crafts, we also spent some time doing light physical activities with the residents. We used Velcro balls and a Velcro dartboard mat, which encouraged them to practice reaching and improve their hand-eye coordination. Many of the residents enjoyed this activity and found it fun. They also helped us clean up and put everything back when we were finished.
After completing our activities, we all sat down together to enjoy the freshly baked cookies. This served as a relaxing break after the more involved arts and crafts projects. Since some of the residents are unable to eat solid foods, we asked the staff to have the cookies pureed so that everyone could still enjoy them.
Overall, the visit was a very positive experience for both the volunteers and the residents. The activities helped create a fun and welcoming environment, and it was rewarding to spend time together and bring some joy to their day. We are looking forward to returning again soon.
Volunteers (2 Hours): Maxim Li, Ashley Zheng, Ayden Zheng, Connie Lin
Reporter: Maxim Li
