Virtual Park Bench: How Online Communities Close the Gap Between Generations
Before social media became our primary method of communication, park benches were always occupied by people yearning to converse with each other. Park benches became a means of connection and a sign of friendship. Folk would take an early morning walk before breakfast or a late afternoon stroll after lunch, enjoy as street artists played away as others window shopped, and share news with each other. Benches became meeting places, where misfortunes were met with compassion and good news with celebration. Those who made the most use of these spaces were the elderly, and due to COVID-19, many parks have been forced to close. Nursing homes have restricted visitors in an effort to protect the at-risk community, and volunteers can no longer accompany seniors. Thus, opportunities for socializing between seniors have become restricted.
Virtual Park Bench seeks to fill this gap by connecting volunteers with seniors through Google Hangouts. By partnering with nursing homes, Virtual Park Bench matches seniors with students who speak their preferred language. These 1-on-1 meetings allow the elderly to share their emotions and find empathetic responses from the volunteers. In these meetings, the seniors reminisce about their youth, share their favorite memories, and reflect on the course their lives took.
Two of our Community Engagement Club leaders, Andrew Chiang ’21 and Emma Dreispiel ’21, had the chance to participate in this volunteering opportunity over the summer. The Community Engagement Club is inspired by our school’s mission of service, connecting volunteers with local and international opportunities to create real, long-lasting change. Andrew Chiang described chatting with the senior as “a great way to help her through this challenging pandemic time,” mentioning that he “tried to find some topics that might interest her before [their] meetings.” The connection and friendship that they formed through these talks prompted him to find shared interests and uplifting news that they could discuss. He was also able to practice his Spanish, using the skills he had learned in class to form a relationship with a native speaker. Emma shares Andrew’s views on the experience, stating that “speaking with the senior was different from the normal interactions [she] has with [her] grandmother, as it showed a new perspective on the fears and challenges that arise with old age.” Not only did she enjoy learning about American history through the lens of someone that experienced it, but she was grateful to know that her presence and conversations could brighten someone else’s day. Topics of conversation revolved around what childhood was like, what they believed came after death, and what it meant to live a good life. Sometimes they shared funny stories, like cooking fails or childhood mischief. But from all these conversations, they found in each other support and understanding.
Virtual Park Bench is open to students in the OHS community. To get involved, contact the Community Engagement Club, our school club dedicated to uniting students with volunteering opportunities and making an impact in the communities we all live in, by emailing either Ms. Burson-Ryan or Noah Giles, whose contact information can be found on the club Canvas page. Additionally, if you have a relationship with a senior home that might be interested in participating in this program, please contact us. Check out the Virtual Park Bench website for more information.
The Community Engagement Club continues to plan new ways in which we can give back to our community. Our next pursuit is to organize a book drive! If you know of organizations that accept book donations, please fill out this survey.