Melanie Holtgrave is pictured with a resident of Aviston Countryside Manor with whom she created poetry while attending a workshop led by Mr. Gary Glazer of the Alzheimer’s Poetry Project.

Ten Mater Dei students volunteered to attend a workshop led by Mr. Gary Glazner at Aviston Countryside Manor on August 25. Mr. Glazer is the founder and Executive Director of the Alzheimer’s Poetry Project in Brooklyn, New York, and the author of Dementia Arts: Celebrating Creativity in Elder Care. After the students trained with Mr. Glazner, they created poetry with the residents, using life experiences to connect and to share with one another. The students will continue to create poetry with the elderly as they perform service hours as a part of Mater Dei’s Works of Mercy program, which guides our students in performing “charitable actions by which [they] help [their] neighbors” (U.S. Catholic Catechism for Adults).

(left to right) Ellie Stark, Hunter Lee, Kinsey Stockmann, Emma Timmermann, Mr. Gary Glazner (back), Grace Rapp, Nicole Peek, Ben Logullo, Melanie Holtgrave, Andrew Boyer, Maddie Owens, and Mrs. Judy Kampwerth.