Project Description

Our organization is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life of New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) residents, youth and seniors alike. At the New York City Housing Authority's (NYCHA), Cypress Hill community center, our organization, The Wright Cause Inc. is gracious for our linkage agreement to be housed and to have acquired space at that particular facility. We will continue with our intergenerational programming at that site, 2008 we have been dedicated to introducing our seniors to the world of modern technology. At the (NYCHA) Surfside Community Center, the Coney Island Senior Club participants have authored articles, which are published in their very own newsletters, (Artistic Expressions 101, which includes the Newsletter program has been created, developed and continually groomed by one of our very own of The Wright Cause Inc.) Besides the newsletter, an additional component has been added for the participants at the (NYCHA), Cypress Community Center. Seniors learn basic computer skills, letter writing and emailing so that they are empowered with an alternate form of communication to love ones, the medical community, governmental agencies etc... As youth volunteers we invest time to work one on one teaching computer skills to seniors, the rate of return is outstanding! I am so proud and continue to gain numerous life lessons, experiences, friendships and to have first hand historic lessons, which the seniors often share. The companionships, which are enjoyed were never anticipated by myself and a number of other youth in our organization. These intergenerational relationships are so valuable and to be able to render a helping hand in society is really a joy!    

Project Description

The Casa Guadalupe Senior Center story circle meets weekly with two trained facilitators to share stories about their lives with each other. Facilitators encourage participants to share stories across their timeline of their lives that represent a large spectrum of experience. In addition, the group will be encouraged to choose and create some sort of self-identified representation or product based on their stories that can be presented to Casa Guadalupe, the participants’ family and friends, and/or the broader community.

Potential benefits of the story project:

To the participants:
- sharing life stories with each other will allow the participants to gain some insight into each other’s lives as well as their own
- story telling helps with listening and communication skills
- sharing their story allows participants to “give back” to their community, an act that can be difficult for some members of the elderly population
- interests, needs, and wants may be identified through the told stories. Eventually, community agencies can use this information to create more responsive services.

To the broader community:
- The stories developed in the circle may help the broader community better understand the immigrant communities of Allentown. In addition, the story circle may lead to discussions of similarities between and among cultures and immigrant populations that can then be branched out into the broader community and create better inter-cultural understanding.
- The circle will most likely touch on universal themes of what growing older means and what the younger populations can learn from the elderly. This could help develop intergenerational ties and facilitate intergenerational learning, especially if youth are brought in to help facilitate the sessions.
- Identify key community members who may be able to participate in a Community Advisory Board or Community-Based Participatory Research.