Community Project Working with Seniors

It’s not every day that you have the chance to talk to someone that lived in Britain during the second world war, knows three languages, and has traveled the world with her African husband.

This Saturday I had the opportunity to reach outside my comfort zone and take part in this month’s community project at Embassy West Senior Living. I was a little nervous about how to act around the seniors and not sure what to expect from the whole experience.

When we arrived, we were lead to a games room and greeted by member of HelpAge Canada, a not-for-profit organization committed to bettering the lives of seniors across Canada. One of its’ goals is to create more opportunities for youth and seniors to spend time together, and that is where this month’s community project comes in.

So we were given a list of questions that could be used as talking points to get the conversation started. I decided to start doing a puzzle with three other students and we were quickly joined by one of the residents, Mary. She helped with the puzzle and was happy to share some of her life experiences.  It was really great to hear all her stories and just talk to someone completely different. I was not the only student enjoying the afternoon, when I looked around the room all the students and seniors were enjoying themselves. Everyone was playing card games, learning how to knit, solving puzzles, and meeting new people.

I think this was a great chance to step outside my comfort zone, meet new people, not just seniors but also students in other programs. I love the time I spent solving the puzzle on Saturday, and I met some great people and learned more than I thought I would. In the end I had a great afternoon, talked to some interesting people and had a great character building experience that I can add to my resume. Not bad for a Saturday afternoon. 

There are different community projects every month with the SAO to get students involved in city events. Don’t miss your chance to give back and add unique experiences to your resume. 

- SAO blogger Sarah Raphael