{"id":204,"date":"2013-09-19T06:12:49","date_gmt":"2013-09-19T10:12:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/students.com.miami.edu\/reporting\/?page_id=204"},"modified":"2013-09-19T13:54:14","modified_gmt":"2013-09-19T17:54:14","slug":"group-tried-to-bridge-generation-gap","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/students.com.miami.edu\/reporting\/our-reporting\/group-tried-to-bridge-generation-gap\/","title":{"rendered":"UGenerations tries to bridge generation gap through service projects for elderly"},"content":{"rendered":"

Posted September 19, 2013<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

By MARISSA YOUNG<\/p>\n

UM students now have even more volunteer opportunities, thanks to a new club on campus.<\/p>\n

\u201cUGenerations is a \u2026 service organization that was created with the goal of improving the health and quality of life of the elderly\u00a0in the Miami area. We hope to accomplish this by bringing together different generations through service projects and events that will simultaneously help to bring awareness to the issues that are affecting [today\u2019s] geriatric age group,\u201d said Caroline Williams, who co-founded the club with Gabriela Lins.<\/p>\n

Lins and Williams recognize that there is a disconnect between individuals of the college-aged generation and their elders, and they hope that this club can help bridge this gap.<\/p>\n

The club had its first meeting on a Thursday just after the semester began.<\/p>\n

Lins opened the gathering by saying that according to the Administration on Aging (AoA), a part of the federal Department of Health & Human Services, it expects that by the year 2030, about 19 percent of the U.S. population will be made up of people who are 65 years or older.<\/p>\n

As a comparison, in 2009, the last year for which the AoA has information, the 65+ population made up 12.9 percent of the country\u2019s total population.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis statistic beckons that, as students, we become more aware of geriatric issues and the impact that these issues will have on our society,\u201d Lins stated regarding the rising elderly population.<\/p>\n

Both co-founders also have personal reasons for starting the club.\u00a0 Each has a grandparent who lives far away; Lins and Williams share the wish that people who live near their own grandparents would do the same for them, spending time with them and keeping them company.<\/p>\n

\u201cUGenerations for me was a response to the question, \u2018Wouldn’t I want someone to be there for my grandmother like I will be there for those in the Miami community?\u2019 \u00a0Of course, the answer is yes,\u201d Williams said. \u201cI would like to give to those here what I would give to my own grandmother: as much happiness and support as they deserve, and a listening ear for all the wisdom they have to offer.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lins spoke about how the elderly age group can be neglected.\u00a0 She brought up the topic of euthanasia and how some people believe that this is an effective way to deal with the aging population.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it is important to fight for the rights of this generation and not enact euthanasia policies that could be abused and cause unwanted harm to the elderly in this country,\u201d Lins said.<\/p>\n

She believes that instead of euthanasia, we need to approach and work on issues such as geriatric conditions and diseases.<\/p>\n

Lins\u2019 grandmother played a pivotal role in her life, Lins said. She was raised by a single mother.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy grandmother filled the gap that my father left behind when my parents divorced,\u201d she said. \u00a0\u201cMy grandmother passed away four years ago and I still fill that loss today. I hope to give back to the elders in my community and learn all that they have to offer me.\u201d<\/p>\n

UGenerations will give members the chance to do just that.<\/p>\n

Club members will be able to volunteer as much as they like.\u00a0 Each week, there will be multiple opportunities for students to visit local nursing homes and interact with the residents there. There will also be special events, like music and art therapy workshops.<\/p>\n

Transportation will be provided.<\/p>\n

The club\u2019s founders are working on getting guest speakers to come to UM.\u00a0 Speakers might talk to students about issues in the elderly community, while other speakers might discuss their experiences during a certain time period, like the Holocaust or the Great Depression. Some sort of pen pal program is in the works, which would allow students to be paired up with senior citizens with whom to correspond.<\/p>\n

Volunteering chair coordinators will record how many hours of volunteering each member does. At the end of the year, UGenerations will give members formal letters documenting this information.<\/p>\n

Lins and Williams are open to suggestions for events and activities, especially since UGenerations is just starting.<\/p>\n

During the meeting, members introduced themselves and explained why they wanted to participate.\u00a0 What the co-founders weren\u2019t expecting was how in-depth and heartfelt the responses were.<\/p>\n

Kimberly Nguyen said that the group would help her a great deal.<\/p>\n

\u201cI never really got to know my grandparents that well since they live on the other side of the world, so I think this club will somewhat make up for it,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n

One member even broke down while talking about her grandparents.\u00a0 Athina Yoham\u2019s grandmother had a stroke and her grandfather died within the same year, leaving the rest of her family to take care of her grandma.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt really hurts to see someone go from completely independent to totally dependent,\u201d she said about her grandmother.\u00a0 \u201cEvery time I look at an older person I just get reminded of my grandparents. \u00a0I picture my grandparents and it makes me happy.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the middle of speaking, Yoham became upset, and she touched those listening to her with her emotional story.<\/p>\n

Reflecting on this, Lins said, \u201cIt was exhilarating being in the company of so many enthusiastic and compassionate individuals. \u00a0It was also amazing to see how everyone had a personal story with the elderly loved ones in their lives and the impact they have had on them.\u201d<\/p>\n

The group members reaffirmed to her how important starting this organization was, and she believes that our elders have much to teach us.<\/p>\n

\u201cBy bridging the gap now, we will build a stronger future for our university, our community, and our society,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

The club\u2019s faculty advisor is Dr. Richard Simpson, an English professor.\u00a0 He is away for the semester at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.<\/p>\n

UGenerations will be holding meetings at 8 p.m. every other Thursday, at a location that will be announced via e-mail. Those interested can contact either of the co-founders at c.williams26@umiami.edu<\/a> (Caroline Williams) or g.lins@umiami.edu<\/a> (Gabriela Lins) for additional information.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Posted September 19, 2013 By MARISSA YOUNG UM students now have even more volunteer opportunities, thanks to a new club on campus. \u201cUGenerations is a \u2026 service organization that was created with the goal of improving the health and quality … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":46,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"sidebar-page.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-204","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/students.com.miami.edu\/reporting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/204","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/students.com.miami.edu\/reporting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/students.com.miami.edu\/reporting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/students.com.miami.edu\/reporting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/students.com.miami.edu\/reporting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=204"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/students.com.miami.edu\/reporting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/204\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":248,"href":"https:\/\/students.com.miami.edu\/reporting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/204\/revisions\/248"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/students.com.miami.edu\/reporting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/46"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/students.com.miami.edu\/reporting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=204"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}