We wrapped up our final class of Winter quarter with a class potluck! It was great seeing some students cooking up traditional recipes for us all to try. We additionally held discussion about our West Center Prom. It was overall an amazing experience that brought smiles to all in attendance; however, it felt a bit rushed due to miscommunication with West Center staff. It felt like there was no real time to enjoy the moment as every item on the agenda was rushed in a structured manner. Hopefully, the next cohort will be allotted more time to enjoy this event. All students went around and shared something that had the greatest impact on them from this quarter. Everyone seemed to have similar memories and experiences they wanted to share. We all mentioned to some degree how the struggles of the elder population are not talked about nearly enough. I did not consider viewing the built environment through a lens of elder accessibility until we did our NAP projects. I’m so grateful for that experience because now I am much more aware of how our built environment can inhibit access for people with disabilities. I’ve shared what I’ve learned with my friends outside of the class and it has seemed to peak their interests as well. The housing tour also had great impact on me as we witnessed first-hand the struggle of the elderly population that is living at or below the federal poverty line in securing housing. I feel this is also an issue that is not talked about nearly enough. And seeing Casa de Manana in comparison to the other housing options just really made this issue hit home for a lot of us. Raising awareness to this issue is the first step in making any real progress or change, and the Life Course Scholar Program has definitely made me and my peers more aware and wanting to take action. We wrapped up class by beginning discussion on what we want to do for our HAP projects next quarter. I have settled into a group that wants to put together an intergenerational walk/marathon that is currently called Walks of All Life. We’ve begun discussion as to possible venues, fundraising options, music and entertainment, and outreach to get people to attend this event. I’m very much looking forward to seeing this project come to life.
On March 9th, we put on a prom at the West Senior Center. We had visited this center once earlier in the quarter, so we were already familiar with a lot of people in attendance. It was difficult planning this prom after we had already put on the prom at Casa de Mañana because of the stark differences in quality of life between the two populations. The residents at Casa are well off, very healthy and look great for their ages, and are living in luxury; whereas the folks that come through the West Center are living at or below the poverty line, come to the center to receive a hot meal that they might otherwise not have, and overall seem less healthy than the residents of Casa perhaps due to the high costs of healthcare. We put together several items that we could raffle off to the folks at the West Center, and they were very simple things such as a plant or a $10 gift card to Subway but they were still ecstatic to receive these things. We also put together goodie bags for all in attendance also comprised of simple things such as socks, toothpaste, and soap. We also created a photo booth backdrop where attendees could take a polaroid as a take home keepsake memory of the event. Everyone in attendance seemed very happy that we could put this event together for them and so many people came up to me to personally tell me thank you. It was a very heartwarming experience.
On February 25th, we put together a prom for the residents of Casa de Mañana! Planning this event was much different than planning for the event at West Center because the food and entertainment was already provided by Casa de Mañana, whereas for West Center, we had to apportion a budget to purchase these things for the event ourselves. This is very reflective of the stark differences between both centers. Casa de Mañana is a retirement home for the affluent due to the high cost of living there, and the West Center is a center for seniors at or below the poverty line to have a place for socialization and to get a hot meal. It was very cute and heartwarming though to see the residents of Casa de Mañana light up at this event and get up and dance and be so active at their age. I was not a part of the group that had organized the Casa de Mañana prom because the class was divided to organize two proms at two locations. I have been on the team putting together the West Center Prom, which will be taking place this weekend. We’ve decided on a carnival theme with food and decorations adhering to said theme. We’ve decided to do a Costco run to grab food for attendees, we’ve ordered our decorations from amazon, we’ve got props to put together a photo booth so that attendees with have a piece of the event to take home with them, and I am working on putting together a playlist for the prom! We’ve also put together goody bags for attendees to take home with them comprised of gift cards towards food, socks, and toothpaste/toothbrushes. I’m so excited to see how it all comes together and can’t wait to see how happy it will make the people at West Center.
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Tanveer MoundiWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
June 2019
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