H4H visits EDH Senior Center for crafts and games

Every second Monday of the month, Hands4Hope volunteers visit the El Dorado Hills Senior Center to conduct activities for the residents, chatting and playing games over a mid-afternoon snack. This monthly event lasts from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m., and volunteers work hard to ensure that seniors have a busy, entertaining hour completing handicrafts, painting, and playing board games. At the start of their day at the center, volunteers meet outside the center and plan out the arrangements they have for the seniors. Some volunteers are in charge of coming up with the crafts, while others are in charge of the snacks. The youth volunteers are crucial to the setup and execution of the event. "They set up craft projects, help the seniors do puzzles, and chat with the seniors," adult lead Anne Rhea said. "It really brings the seniors a refreshing change in their day." And the feeling is mutual with the volunteers. "It's something fun to do that puts a smile on the seniors' faces and mine, too. It makes me feel great," Youth volunteer Ian Hunt said. For over two years, Hunt has been arranging the games, coming up with ideas for crafts, and making friends with the 20 to 25 seniors that attend. Even though it can be a busy hour preparing for and carrying out the event, the seniors keep him motivated to come back the next month. "It gives them something fun and productive to do, and it makes me feel like I make a difference in their lives," he said. But the relationship between the volunteers and seniors goes beyond fun games and snacks – by bonding over simple activities, a deeper connection develops to bridge the gap between the younger and older generations at the center. The seniors love interacting with young people; as Rhea mentioned, it provides something new in their life to look forward to every month. The Craft and Games event is a stable activity in their life in which they know they can comfortably socialize with people of all ages. The event demonstrates the level of companionship that can occur despite the differences the volunteers' and seniors' differences, especially since the seniors have varying levels of dementia. And for the volunteers, merely knowing how much of an impact they make every month is enough to keep them coming back. Hands4Hope is a non-profit, youth-driven service learning and outreach organization based in El Dorado County whose mission is to empower youth to make a positive difference in the world around them through exploration, action and leadership. Hands4Hope is comprised of youth volunteers ranging from kindergarten to 12th grade. To learn more about Hands4Hope's Community Engagement Program, contact Program Director Yoko Kono at yoko@hands4hopeyouth.org. Hands4Hope is a non-profit youth-driven organization with the mission to inspire and empower youth in leadership and service. Hands4Hope offers hands-on education and community engagement opportunities to youth from K-12th grades through school-based and after-school programs in Sacramento and El Dorado Counties. For more information about the Senior Crafts and Games Event and Hands4Hope, go to hands4hopeyouth.org or call the Hands4Hope Youth Center at 916-294-7426.