MORGANTOWN — If you had the chance to present the story of your life through movement, music, visual arts and storytelling, what would it look like? How would it sound?
How would it feel if you could share that experience with new friends developed during the incremental eight-week process?
Could it change your life, your mood, your health?
Debbie Palmer, manager of arts and wellness for BOPARC, wants to help answer those questions for a group of 14 seniors — aged 70-plus — through the recreation commission’s new Creative Aging initiative.
The free program will be held from 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m. each Wednesday starting Sept. 25 at the Wiles Hill Community Center.
Palmer said the purpose is two-fold — to provide an outlet for seniors who are increasingly at risk of becoming socially isolated, and to collect, enjoy and present the stories of our community’s elders.
“It’s kind of a therapeutic program to reach people who need something. They need interaction and socialization, and it’s also a celebratory program to celebrate the lives of these people and reaffirm that their lives mattered and continue to matter,” she said. “We should listen to them. We should enjoy their stories, and we should learn from their stories.”
According to the National Institute of Health, social isolation and loneliness are serious yet underappreciated public health risks that impact about a quarter of community-dwelling Americans aged 65 and older.
Further, the NIH reports, social isolation and loneliness have been linked to significant increases in the risk of dementia and premature mortality from all causes.
Each of the activities included in the weekly programming — socialization, movement, storytelling, visual arts, etc. — will be centered around the memories and experiences of the participants.
At the end of the eight-week process, the hope is to open the Wiles Hill Community Center’s Debora D. Palmer Gallery to recognize the art and its inspiration.
Angela Dennis, co-founder of Cheat Lake’s Umbrella Arts, will be among the Creative Aging program’s instructors.
“We want the entire community to see what’s going on and see the value of it and think, ‘Oh, my grandma would love to do something like this.’ We feel like it is important work, and to do something where we put it in front of people is special,” Dennis said.
“I think a lot of people of all ages, but especially the elderly community, think things are not attainable for them, particularly if there’s a physical limitation. We want everyone to see that’s not the case.”
Criteria for the program includes living in the greater Morgantown area, being at least 70 years old and having transportation to the community center, on Eureka Drive.
Individuals must be able to participate in light physical activity and must attend all eight weeks as the sessions build upon each other.
The free program, which includes lunch each week, is being supported through the BOPARC Foundation.
Additional information, including a sign-up form, is available at boparc.org
You can also sign up by calling 304-296-8356.
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