Bev and Christina,
Thank you both so much for hosting the floral arranging class in connection with our ARTicipation program. I am also writing to thank you profusely for the flowers you left behind. I had an art therapy session with residents the following morning and was delighted to find the bounty of flowers in the gallery! In my ten years of working at Village Shalom, I have never seen the residents so happy about an activity. Our hour long session was a frenzy of activity and excitement. It was as if we were handing out bars of gold. Residents who walked by the gallery and had never joined this group came flying on when they would walk by. Every single tiny sprig of greenery was swept up by the participants. We had a few extra roses, so some of the residents made arrangements for staff people (the receptionist who was working directly across for the giant arrangement was so touched by her gift from these residents). People were amazed by the roses and so happy to handle flowers since many of them owned gardens before moving to Village Shalom. I also observed people in the lobby and how they interacted with the arrangement you left behind. Everyone had to look closely and smell and touch, because every single person who passed it assumed it was fake.
Many of the residents didn't want to attend their next activity following the group because they were afraid that the arrangements might not get back to their rooms. They were literally clutching their arrangements fearful to hand them over to the staff people who were going to return it to their rooms. It was quite a spectacle. Thank you again so much for bringing this joy to Village Shalom!
Thanks,
Sherri Jacobs
Sherri Jacobs, MA-ATR Registered Art Therapist
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