OH MY GOODNESS. I had such an awesome day on Saturday at the Gary and Mary West Center located in Downtown San Diego. The time finally came for us to put on our senior prom for the elders at the community center, and I can genuinely say it was a hit!
The group was put under a bit of pressure, as the dance was slated to begin at 1:45, and the elders did not finish their lunch until 1:20. The LCS cohort’s teamwork was unmatched in finishing the decorating for the dance right on time for all the elders to come and enjoy it.
The group was put under a bit of pressure, as the dance was slated to begin at 1:45, and the elders did not finish their lunch until 1:20. The LCS cohort’s teamwork was unmatched in finishing the decorating for the dance right on time for all the elders to come and enjoy it.
Everyone seemed to love all the pizza and refreshments and it was really nice being able to send the extra food home with people. I know that many of the seniors in the community center are in need of food during the evenings when they spend their time away from the center. It was a cold, rainy day, so being able to provide further nourishment outside of the center was honestly a blessing. The smiles on everyone’s faces while they were receiving was incredibly heartwarming and I am so thankful that LCS has the funds to give to the centers we work with the way that we do. One small regret is that I did not dedicate much time to fundraising/finding gift cards or prizes so that we could have given more. This was noted so that the next LCS cohort can plan accordingly.
The senior community center’s singing group was fabulous. All of the singers themselves looked like they were having so much fun. The audience of other seniors was also very engaging and encouraging. I definitely snuck some videos of people dancing as well. It made me really happy to see that the senior has such a high level of involvement that they can maintain clubs with special interests like the singing group. It’s really important that the seniors have a creative outlet that is accessible to them through the center.
The senior community center’s singing group was fabulous. All of the singers themselves looked like they were having so much fun. The audience of other seniors was also very engaging and encouraging. I definitely snuck some videos of people dancing as well. It made me really happy to see that the senior has such a high level of involvement that they can maintain clubs with special interests like the singing group. It’s really important that the seniors have a creative outlet that is accessible to them through the center.
During the dance I made a friend. Her name is Teresa and she’s originally from El Salvador. I was able to utilize my Spanish skills to talk to her a bit. I’m not completely fluent, but I can hold conversation. She told me about how her family is broken and spread out in many places because of the wars in her country. She left in 1981 because it wasn’t safe. Her son, however, stayed and fought in the war for 8 years. Now, one of her sons lives in San Diego with his kids, but everyone else is scattered in different places. It was sad to hear that her family had to suffer due to the wars. It’s incredibly unfortunate that something many cultures share is the experience of the perils of war. During my oral history project interviews, I learned a lot about how World War II personally affected my dad and our family as well. Although this conversation got heavy, Teresa was generally happy and very welcoming in terms of my inabilities and limitations with my Spanish. Spanish speaking people always tend to be very friendly in regards to others using their language. She helped me when I couldn’t remember a word, politely corrected me if I said something wrong, and complimented me by telling me that she understands my Spanish. Jessica was going around taking pictures with the Polaroid, so both of us were able to leave with a picture together. Talking with Teresa had to be one of my favorite parts of the day. We took pictures on both of our phones as well (suggested by her), so that we would not forget each other.
All in all, I’d have to say that the senior prom was probably one of the most rewarding experiences of the quarter.
All in all, I’d have to say that the senior prom was probably one of the most rewarding experiences of the quarter.