In The News - Link Generations

4th Annual Celebration

June 5, 2020 By Link Generations

June 5, 2020 @ 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Since we can’t get together in person, please join us for a virtual Zoom meeting to celebrate hundreds of letters and drawings created by Link Generations volunteers to help physically isolated older adults feel connected during the quarantine.

View inspiring artwork
Read uplifting messages
Honor graduating students
Feel hopeful together!

Donate $25 now to receive your Zoom link and a Link Generations Honor Award for one volunteer. All donations will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to $5,000 thanks to our generous supporters.

Volunteers may RSVP to lori@linkgenerations.org to receive your free Zoom link to the celebration.

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Ongoing Virtual Intergenerational Program

April 30, 2020 By linkgendev

April 30, 2020 @ 12:00 pm – June 30, 2020 @ 12:00 pm

Due to public health precautions surrounding coronavirus (COVID-19) and the closing of Montgomery County Schools, Link Generations volunteers will not be meeting in person. Instead, volunteers are asked to write letters and draw pictures at home that can be delivered to isolated older adults. This is an unprecedented time when staying physically distanced is crucial to saving lives, while at the same time, creating social connections is what will get us through the struggle. Contact Lori@linkgenerations.org for more details about writing letters and creating art to share hope with our community.

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Connections | April 2020

April 30, 2020 By Link Generations

Good Things Happen When We Link Generations

We are learning how to tolerate “social distancing,” but what we are really doing is physical distancing. This cannot keep us apart and in fact we are creating more opportunities for social connections. Here is what Link Generations is doing:

Letter Writing and Creating Art for Residents at CESLC and IKF

More than 75 volunteers have registered to write letters and create art for isolated older adults in just the last two weeks. This shows our desire for connecting! We are sending letters and pictures of artwork electronically to staff at Charles E. Smith Life Communities and Ingleside at King Farm who are then disseminating these uplifting messages to residents.

Thank you to all of the writers and artists who are sharing their stories and experiences. Thank you to the staff at CESLC and IKF who are spending endless hours helping physically isolated residents socially connect with family and friends who are not able to come to see them during this time.

Uplifting Quotes

Ironically, in this new world of ours where the words “social distancing,”

“stay-at-home,” and “quarantine” separate us from physical interaction, I have never felt more motivated to reach out to family, friends, and community members. That is why I am volunteering with Link Generations and writing to you. -10^th grade student

During this pandemic, I have come to realize that time is a precious privilege, like a nostalgic piece of candy whose flavor lingers even after all of the sugar has dissolved. I am learning to appreciate this day more and more. -10^th grade student

I would like you to know I have been thinking about how hard of a time this must be for you. I hope you are feeling well and I hope to visit you soon. This is a really stressful time and one of the things that makes me less stressed is origami. I have made some origami cranes that I am including with this letter for you to enjoy and I hope it helps reduce your stress. -8^th grade student

I have volunteered with Link Generations for three years and thoroughly enjoyed the experience of interacting with residents such as yourself. I’m writing this letter to you today because I understand the isolation you’re facing right now must be unbearable, and I thought telling you a story about a fond memory of my favorite vacation might help reduce your stress. -11^th grade student

Zoom Calls with Link Generations Middle and High School Volunteers

Students from different schools share their experiences of what they are doing at home. Many walk and take hikes, enjoy special moments with their families. One student shared pictures of tress and blossoms in her neighborhood to show the beauty of spring surrounding us.

Intergenerational Zoom Calls with Link Generations Board Members

Link Generations Board Members learned how to Zoom. The training session was straight from a cartoon of “See no evil” “Hear no evil” “Speak no evil.”

One board member had a detachable web cam that was pointing under her desk, so all we could see were scenes from under her desk. A second board member managed to get into the Zoom room, but could not work the audio, so we could not hear anything he said. The third board member could not access Zoom from her computer, so she couldn’t speak to us at all, but did manage to purchase a subscription to Zoom in the process. After much patience from everyone, a few FaceTime conversations on the side and repositioning of web cams, we are able to meet successfully with each other.

We used Zoom to welcome our newest Link Generations Board member, Christina Kilby, a sophomore at the University of Maryland who has been volunteering with Link Generations since 2017. Christina will be serving as the Youth Advisory Member to share her perspective as a student who has participated in Link Generations programs.

Wishing everyone a healthy holiday week filled with social connections from a safe distance!

Public Health Notice

Link Generations is staying up to date regarding public health news. The best way to protect yourself and others from any virus is to wash your hands and avoid touching your face (eyes, nose, and mouth). We will keep you updated with any programming changes and please, stay home if you are sick.

Contact lori@linkgenerations.org with any questions.

THANK YOU to all of our generous supporters! We look forward to another productive year of meaningful connections.

April Intergenerational Program Cancelled – Participate Virtually!

April 19, 2020 By Link Generations

April 19, 2020 @ 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm

Due to public health precautions surrounding coronavirus (COVID-19) and the closing of Montgomery County Schools, Link Generations volunteers will not be meeting in person. Instead, volunteers are asked to write letters and draw pictures at home that can be delivered to Ring House residents the Charles E. Smith Life Communities . Older residents are the most vulnerable to this virus and safety and well-being of our community is always a top priority. Contact Lori@linkgenerations.org for more details about delivering letters and getting your SSL form signed for participating.

Lori Marks, PhD

301-365-2218

linkgenerations.org

lori@linkgenerations.org

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Connections | March 2020

March 19, 2020 By Link Generations

The Link Generations Club at Gaithersburg High School celebrated its third year with a special event jazz concert. The GHS Jazz Band performed for students and residents from Charles E. Smith Life Communities Landow House, followed by an engaging discussion about their shared love for music. Residents smiled and waved their hands to the beat of Duke Ellington’s “C-Jam Blues,” Lou Donaldson’s “Caracas” and Charles Booker’s “Sticky Toes.”

The residents and students each talked about how meaningful music is to them, expressing how it connects them to their families and to their cultures. Many of the students are from countries outside the U.S., so this gave them an opportunity to showcase their backgrounds with pride. The program concluded with one of the residents leading the group in singing “Que Sera Sera, Whatever will be will be, the future’s not ours to see, Que Sera Sera.”

Good Counsel’s Club Discovers Pearls of Wisdom

Good Counsel’s Link Generations Club partnered with Charles E. Smith Life Communities Landow House for the intergenerational piece of its Wisdom Project. The group launched in November with a presentation by one of Landow House’s 100-year old residents talking about how to live a long and happy life. Students listened closely to pearls of wisdom like, “Even in hard times you can find something good. You can find something to laugh about. It is important to be positive.” The group is collecting these treasures in wisdom treasure chests, pictured below.

Students learned that one secret to a long and happy life is to try new things. They heard about the resident’s bucket list, which includes spending time with family and friends, riding a ferris wheel, and paddle boating in the Tidal Basin in front of the Jefferson Memorial. This 100-year old lady did all three!
The group met again in February to talk about wisdom in relationships. They exchanged ideas about wisdom and discovered that while the older generation has more years of experience, the younger generation also possesses wisdom. One young participant summed this up, “Times are changing so we have other experiences, different ways of life.” Some examples are being experts in technology and pop culture.

With a Little Help From My Friends

Link Generations celebrated Friendship February at Charles E. Smith Life Communities by discussing relationships and writing Valentine’s cards to each other. In our fourth year of programming, we have now seen multiple connections between the older and younger generations. We are also seeing friendships form among the residents as well as among the student volunteers. One of the residents offered to perform the Beatles song “With a Little Help From My Friends.” She arranged to have another resident accompany her with his guitar, and also invited one of the talented student volunteers to join their trio. The trio performed, and were eventually joined by everyone in the program singing along. Residents expressed their delight to see some of their non-verbal neighbors smiling, tapping their feet to the beat of the music, and even singing some of the words.

Upcoming Programs

Monthly Intergenerational Program at Ring House

Middle and high school students lead monthly intergenerational activities at Charles E. Smith Life Communities Ring House Sundays, 1-3pm. Upcoming Programs are scheduled for March 15, April 19, and May 17.

2020 Link Generations Summer Storytelling Series

Link Generations is running its fourth Summer Storytelling Series at Ingleside at King Farm in July. Students meet for training and orientation on Tuesday, July 7, 2-4pm. Ingleside residents and students will meet for intergenerational afternoons Thursdays, July 9, 16, 23, and 30. Students meet 1-4pm, with the first 90 minutes reserved for training and education about principles of aging, best practices for working with older adults, and leadership skills. Residents join students 2:30-4pm for the intergenerational portion of the program. Student volunteers must be aged 13-18 and commit to attending all four weeks.

Contact lori@linkgenerations.org for more information.

Public Health Notice

Contact lori@linkgenerations.org with any questions.

Getting Down to Business with 2019 Milestones

In 2019, Link Generations completed three years of programming connecting youth and older adults in intergenerational activities benefiting both populations.

We held 20 education sessions for middle and high school students.
We implemented 33 intergenerational sessions.
We reached 173 students and 148 older adults.
We raised over $70,000 to support program operations and administrative costs.

THANK YOU to all of our generous supporters! We look forward to another productive year of meaningful connections.

March Intergenerational Program Cancelled – Participate Virtually

March 15, 2020 By Link Generations

March 15, 2020 @ 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm

Due to public health precautions surrounding coronavirus (COVID-19) and the closing of Montgomery County Schools the week of March 15, Link Generations volunteers will not be meeting in person. Instead, volunteers are asked to write letters and draw pictures at home that can be delivered to Ring House residents the Charles E. Smith Life Communities . Older residents are the most vulnerable to this virus and safety and well-being of our community is always a top priority. Contact Lori@linkgenerations.org for more details about delivering letters and getting your SSL form signed for participating.