After weeks of planning and preparation, my LCS cohort gathered at the Gary and Mary West Center on Saturday, February 24th to host our intergenerational event called “Love, Connect, and Care.” We arrived at eight o’clock in the morning to set up the outdoor space behind the center. There were four different stations ranging from a boutique, arts and crafts, gardening, as well as a snack table. My group organized the art station so we provided an array of activities including origami, watercolor painting, and an affirmation board. When the event officially began at nine o’clock, all of the participants rushed in towards the boutique section, as my classmates had curated a wonderful selection of clothing and vintage accessories.
We had several visitors at the art station, two of whom created beautiful watercolor paintings. I wanted to converse with them more but they both only spoke Mandarin. Despite the language barrier between us, it was gratifying to witness the joy on their faces as we each tended to the details of our artwork. I noticed that the gardening station was quite popular, as each individual was able to walk away with live succulents or a bouquet of artificial flowers. While the turnout was not as busy as we had previously expected, the event was a marvelous experience that brought me closer together with my classmates in addition to the West Center visitors. My main takeaway from the experience was that we did not need to constantly communicate in order to enjoy each other's company and initiate friendships.
The next day, a classmate and I headed to Mira Mesa to conduct our neighborhood age-friendliness assessment for the Healthy Aging Project. We reached the neighborhood in the afternoon and set off on a stroll around the library, park, and recreation center. Because it was a Sunday, we spotted many families with young children playing sports games, hosting birthday parties, and walking their dogs. The parks we visited were well maintained and featured numerous playgrounds for children of various ages, many tables with benches, and accessible public restrooms. The crosswalks were clearly marked and had lights to indicate crossing activity. Some parts of the sidewalks were cracked but not enough to be considered a hazard. To my surprise, there were not as many older adults utilizing the space but the time of day could have impacted such an occurrence. The other members of my group will be visiting Mira Mesa in the future so I’m looking forward to hearing more about their insight and observations.
We had several visitors at the art station, two of whom created beautiful watercolor paintings. I wanted to converse with them more but they both only spoke Mandarin. Despite the language barrier between us, it was gratifying to witness the joy on their faces as we each tended to the details of our artwork. I noticed that the gardening station was quite popular, as each individual was able to walk away with live succulents or a bouquet of artificial flowers. While the turnout was not as busy as we had previously expected, the event was a marvelous experience that brought me closer together with my classmates in addition to the West Center visitors. My main takeaway from the experience was that we did not need to constantly communicate in order to enjoy each other's company and initiate friendships.
The next day, a classmate and I headed to Mira Mesa to conduct our neighborhood age-friendliness assessment for the Healthy Aging Project. We reached the neighborhood in the afternoon and set off on a stroll around the library, park, and recreation center. Because it was a Sunday, we spotted many families with young children playing sports games, hosting birthday parties, and walking their dogs. The parks we visited were well maintained and featured numerous playgrounds for children of various ages, many tables with benches, and accessible public restrooms. The crosswalks were clearly marked and had lights to indicate crossing activity. Some parts of the sidewalks were cracked but not enough to be considered a hazard. To my surprise, there were not as many older adults utilizing the space but the time of day could have impacted such an occurrence. The other members of my group will be visiting Mira Mesa in the future so I’m looking forward to hearing more about their insight and observations.