Residents of AlmaVia of San Rafael recently teamed up with local Cub Scouts to plant flowers, enjoy the sunshine and — in keeping with the Older Americans Month theme — Age Out Loud.
On April 30, members of the 4th-grade Webelos Cub Scouts paid their first visit to AlmaVia of San Rafael to participate in what they call a “Good Turn” project for residents. For the project, part of a specific Scout achievement, Scouts and residents worked together to pot colorful flowers.
The potting project on the AlmaVia at San Rafael patio served as a way for the residents and the Scouts to celebrate Earth Day and Arbor Day as they got to know each other. Scouts and their parents also enjoyed hearing about the careers of some residents, including Joe Saccone, founder of Marin’s United Markets; John Minoli of the San Francisco Police Department; and Nancy Miller, a lawyer and educator.
Life Enrichment Director Emma Berkley and Scout den leader Walter Pritchard hope to schedule ongoing projects and meetups to allow the boys to continue building relationships with AlmaVia residents.
Getting Generations Together
Research has found that when seniors and children come together, good things often happen — for both groups.
Intergenerational activities can be fun for everyone involved, but they also can provide tangible benefits. Seniors benefit from children’s enthusiasm for learning new things. Children often have knowledge to share about technology, popular culture and subjects they learn about in school.
In many cases, children’s energy can encourage seniors to be more active and get them interested in pursuing new hobbies. At the same time, kids can find role models in elders as well as learn from their wisdom and experience.
At AlmaVia of San Rafael, we can’t think of a better way for residents to Age Out Loud than spending time with young people. We thank the Cub Scouts for their service, and we look forward to future visits.
