The goal of this project is to continue to bring happiness to the seniors at the Chelsea Assisted Living Residence. By interacting with them, we want to get to know them and put smiles on their faces. We also want to develop and appreciation for the lives of our elders. We hope to be able to develop lasting friendships with them.
We plan to continue to participate in many different activities with the Chelsea seniors. We plan to visit the assisted living residence at least once a month to visit with the residents, play bingo with them, and even perform for them. Our goal is to form a lasting partnership with the Chelsea so that we can bring happiness to our elders, while at the same time learning from the wisdom of their years.
The project has gone extremely well this year, even after COVID-19 struck. From September to March we were able to visit the Chelsea at once a month to play bingo, share stories, and perform for our elder friends. Once we went to Distance Learning we still stayed connected to our partners by writing letters, creating chalk art on their sidewalks, and doing drive-by visits with posters to let them know we're thinking about them. We are currently in the process of making a performance video we can share with them. Going to the Chelsea was enlightening because we got to learn by listening to the stories that the seniors told us while we are there. It also made us feel valuable when we got to go and make others happy. Going there was a chance to form friendships with the seniors. It helped us to break down age barriers and take advantage of the amazing knowledge and experiences the seniors had to share. It also helped them to break down stereotypes about pre-teens. Lastly, it helped to celebrate the similarities and difference we had in common.
We learned that our elders are valuable human beings who should be appreciated and respected. We also learned that they are really young people, just trapped in old bodies, and they can be funny and a lot of fun.
If we could do it again, we would like to invite the seniors who can get out for a daytrip to visit our school and we host them with a luncheon or some other activity to say how much we value them.
Our favorite part of the project were the times we visited to play bingo. That was when we were most able to get to know each other. There was always an ongoing rivalry/competition between the R&S kids and the Chelsea residents about who could win the most games, which especially fun.
Old people have so much knowledge and wisdom to offer, and they can be extremely funny. Don't wait to get to know your elders.
