Wednesday afternoons at the Isaacs Center are always booming, between the many older adult events and the Jack August After School program kicking off its daily programming. But tucked away in one of the activity rooms, and right in the middle of the week, the Arts & Crafts class serves as a space for relaxation, wellness, and community.
Upon arriving, there were markers, construction paper, scissors, and snacks. The class activity for the day: paper chains and butterflies to use as decorations for the monthly birthday party. Members sat down and talked with each other but mostly preferred the quiet meditation of cutting paper into something beautiful.
The weekly session is hosted by Melanie, one of the social workers at the Older Adult Center. It incorporates Art Therapy, which she studied as part of her degree. “Arts and crafts covers a lot of things, it teaches mindfulness, but it also brings people together and helps members maintain their dexterity,” Melanie states. Just ten minutes cutting paper butterflies was enough to understand it. As humans, the concept of crafting is as fundamentally relaxing as being next to a body of water or gathering around a campfire.
Arts & Crafts Class meets every Wednesday from 3 PM to 4:15. Their creations can also be admired at every Isaacs birthday party where they provide custom decorations for each month’s theme.