YKG PA/NJ: Nursing Homes & Kindness

(Jan. 2019)

“Only by giving are you able to receive more then you already have” -Jim Rohn

Our visit to Pickering Manor nursing home gave everyone a chance to realize how fortunate we are and that giving is a gift that helps you grow as a person. Our trip was very successful. We had some planned activities which the seniors really enjoyed. One of these activities was bingo. This was a very nice way to interact with the seniors, they got a chance to be engaged with us and have some fun. Every member of YKG was helping the seniors to make sure that they were not getting confused on the game. I think this had a really big impact on them because after the game, they all had big smiles on their faces. I️ hope they felt that caring people are there for them, that they don’t have to feel lonely. One thing that touched me and made me feel a little sad was to see some seniors just “sleeping” right in their wheelchairs. They probably didn’t even realize where they were. It helped me to understand that old age is not easy. Another thing that went well was doing a craft with them. We decorated felt stockings with the seniors. Each girl worked very closely with the seniors to help them complete the craft. By the end of this project, some of the seniors had hung their stocking craft on their wheelchair as a decoration. This not only told me that they liked it, but it also made me feel like our team had made a small difference within our community. During all the activities, the YKG girls did a very nice job with speaking loudly, clearly, and repeating themselves just in case the seniors did not hear them. Everyone was very respectful and showed compassion.

Our last activity was performing a Punjabi dance for the seniors. We played Bhangra music and were able to share a little bit of our Punjabi culture with them. Finally, we handed out jewelry boxes and crochet kits as gifts to all that were there. In conclusion, I learned that putting a smile on someone’s face goes a long way, that one act of kindness can make a difference, you just have to start somewhere.