On February 24th, the Life Course Scholars group and I put together an intergenerational event at the Gary and Mary West Senior Center. I worked at the clothing station, where we got hundreds of donations of clothing ranging from shoes to thick winter jackets. Thankfully, our station was super popular amongst the people that showed up to our event, and I am glad that we were able to help out with providing them with some clothing. I saw many familiar faces from the last time I was at the Gary and Mary West Senior Center, which was super heartwarming. When strolling through the stations, I noticed a woman who was painting with some watercolors of some flowers. I could tell that she was very creative and artistic, and I was so happy that she wanted to paint since there were not many who chose to. Overall, the event went super smoothly and I hope to be a part of something like this in the near future!
On Saturday, January 27, the LCS and Homelessness in San Diego groups rode on a bus together to visit some amazing senior living centers and facilities all across San Diego. We learned of so many wonderful places available in San Diego who are focused on bringing undermined seniors living situations they deserve. My favorite was definitely where we ate lunch, the North Park Senior Apartments.
The lady I talked to over a delicious sandwich from Mendocino Farms was so sweet. She first talked about her life and how her late husband and her were in a band together in the 70s. (which is so cool!) The girl at the table with me from the Homelessness in San Diego class mentioned how we weren’t able to tour the inside of these apartments, and the sweet lady was generous enough to offer her apartment to let us inside hers! Her whole apartment was purple (her favorite color), and she had vegan recipes pinned up on her fridge (she and her daughter are both vegan!). She showed us pictures of her husband and her old cat, all along with a lovely smile on her face. I had the privilege of someone so friendly and kind to open up their home to show me their living space. Seeing these intimate parts of her life and being vulnerable in telling me what she missed and reminiscing memories made it all too apparent of how important senior living centers are. She seemed so happy to be there and had a great group of friends to hang out with every day. These kinds of facilities encourage seniors to live together and do activities together, which is a great way to bond and spend time during this stage in life. My experience at the West Senior Wellness Center was truly a spectacular one. It was my first time at a senior center, and I never had imaged how much work goes into its operation. I was amazed by Mr. Downey’s engagement in the senior lives and investments into making it a place for older adults to be able to live comfortably and provide a space of comfort. His efforts to create a safe space for underprivileged and overlooked citizens of San Diego was truly inspiring.
Upon walking into the establishment, I was met with the warm face of the woman behind the counter. The community that has been built within the walls of the West Senior Wellness Center was one-of-a-kind. These older citizens had friends, and each had their table where they sat together. Playing games, participating in workout sessions, and watching movies together are only some of the activities that one could choose from at this location. The sense of community and belonging was felt in this establishment and it was the first time that I realized that there is so much to look forward to in the future. I was also amazed by the friendliness of the people who visited the center. I cannot count the amount of times that an older citizen greeted me and my peers visiting. They were all extremely friendly despite the variety of different backgrounds and history of each individual. While passing out the lunch for the day, everyone greeted me with a smile and thanked me for bringing them their food. The absolute friendliness of the people at this center was apparent; something I was not expecting. The adults I spoke with loved talking to me and my peers, and I became invested in their lives and captivated by their stories and advice. Their willingness to open up to me and tell me about their lives made me feel comforted and grateful that they trusted me with their stories. I definitely felt wiser and more confident that these kinds of wellness centers are essential for older adults to exist and keep up with this ever-changing society. |
Kiana DettmanKiana Dettman is from Los Angeles, California. Kiana is an urban studies and planning major and plans on double majoring in public policy! They love running (was on the cross country + track team in high school) and have an elder brother who runs for UCSD. Archives
March 2024
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