The Gifts of Storytelling
Julia P., Half Hollow Hills High School Vice President, reflects on how volunteering at GlamourGals has helped her gain valuable insight into the life of her mother and of the seniors she connects with.
GlamourGals is an extremely influential part of my life. I have grown a special kind of respect for seniors and my mother that I feel I would not have gained if I did not join this club. Hearing about the seniors’ life stories fascinates me every time. I love to listen to them tell me about how different life was when they were my age. I say I gained respect for my mother because she works as an occupational therapist for the memory impaired unit at a local senior home. When I was younger, I never understood why she chose her job, but now I do. I can now understand that doing even the simplest thing to help seniors can be so rewarding for not only them but for yourself. Helping others has always been something I pride myself on. Ever since elementary school, I have done clubs and activities that have the main purpose of volunteering for others, such as Girl Scouts and SOAR. After my first year in this club, I wanted to do my Silver Award for Girl Scouts. I knew exactly what community I wanted to help: the geriatric community. I consulted the recreation department at the senior home my mother works in about what they could possibly need. I was told that they were in need of something to calm the memory-impaired residents when in a mental meltdown. I decided to create tactile boards and busy blankets. I fundraised money by selling candy to friends and family, and then bought the supplies I needed to help me create this project. I spent over fifty hours sewing, gluing, and producing 10 busy blankets and 10 tactile boards. I learned from my mom that the memory-impaired unit uses my project every day, and they love it! GlamourGals has made me further realize that I have a deep passion for helping others and it is something I need to do for the rest of my life.
Throughout all four years of high school, I have gone above and beyond serving the seniors in my community. Since my freshman year, I have dedicated every Tuesday to socializing with the seniors at Atria Senior Living in Commack, New York. I always like to make sure each senior has a great experience. I never limit my expertise in doing nails to only women. In fact, a man approached me on one of my first days volunteering with the club to ask if I could file his nails and put a clear coat on them for protection, and of course, I replied “absolutely!”. Ever since that day, he would request for me each week. On days I wasn’t there, I heard from my peers that he would ask where I was, and on days I didn’t see him in the recreation room, I would ask the employees where he was. He and I created a special relationship through sharing stories each week of our families and jobs. GlamourGals quickly became my favorite club and the thing I looked forward to each week. I was devastated when my time in Atria was cut short in my sophomore year due to Coronavirus. Although I was not an officer at the time, I had a good relationship with them, so I always put my best foot forward in assisting in brainstorming ideas on how we can make the seniors’ day.
GlamourGals provides an incredible experience for people of all ages. The interaction between two people who were born decades apart is beneficial to each participating person. In my experience, I can confidently say that intently listening to a stranger tell you about their personal life stories is incredible. Story-telling gives so much insight into a world that you will never know personally, but can imagine through another person’s eyes. It also is eye-opening when you are talking to someone decades older than you and realize you have so much in common. For example, I met a woman who would tell me about her older brother, younger sister, and her job as a teacher. We had such similar experiences in life, which was super surprising to me since we were born so many years apart. This club is important to me and other people my age because I receive a humbling and rewarding experience of chatting with and connecting to a senior. This is also important to the seniors because it provides them with a companion and a sense of feeling young again when they get to sing, talk, and dance with teenagers. It provides an escape from reality for both age groups.
