Thanks to the goodwill and effort of the Middlesex County Office of Arts and History, the residents of st. Joseph’s senior home has been able to participate in a few events organized under the Making Folklife Accessible program which has been designed to “bring virtual folk-art programs into the homes of individuals who are unable to attend events in person.” The goal of the program is to engage and immerse individuals in an artistic experience which otherwise they would not be able to do.

The artistic experience for the seniors continued during the craft program which consisted of 4 sessions conducted by Rachel and Shanti, where they familiarized our residents with the art of watercolor and various other supplies. A big part of the program was also the chalk art activity in the courtyard of st. Joseph’s facility, where one of the artists was asked to create three pieces of art on the walls of St. Joseph’s home. This inspired our very own talented sister Anna to participate and create such a drawing on her own!

To top it off, on August 26th the residents gathered in the Family Room of st. Joseph’s to anticipate in a live performance of Traditional Puerto Rican Music and Dance. The performance was headed by Nelson and Magda Beez. Nelson performed traditional music on the Bomba drum, one of the oldest and most traditional instruments which carry enormous social and political meaning for Purto Ricans. Needless to say, the residents were over the moon excited for each of the sessions and performances which took place as part of the program. Thanks to such events, our seniors get to partake in unusual learning experiences, they get to practice their creativity and spend their days in a more productive and inspiring way.

We are extremely grateful for the help and effort coming from the Middlesex County Office of Arts and History, all the artists who visited our home, and especially

who was the chief coordinator of the program. It genuinely warms our hearts to see how much time and effort went into organizing these events solely for the purpose of entertaining our residents and providing them with a fun learning experience!

Thank you!