If you know me very well, or pretty much at all, you know I’m not very much of an artsy fartsy kind of a guy. In fact, I think it would be a stretch to say I’ve made anything pretty or cute this year, and the year is 85% gone. The fact I made 10 out of 12 months into a statistic, almost subconsciously is perhaps more revealing than anything else I could say. All this to say, I’ll be going in a couple days to do my third Monday afternoon in the Crafts and Hobbies room at IVH.
The people who visit me seem to be a fairly religious group. Charlie, for example, has made dozens, perhaps a hundred false floral bouquets. He loves what he does and hoped they’d sell well at the sale they have at the annual state wide VFW reunion. That sale was today, so I’m sure I’ll hear how it went on Monday. The reason it’s important that their crafts sell well is because that is how the Crafts and Hobbies department justifies its extra programing costs, they sell the crafts made.
One of the residents’ favorite parts of Crafts and Hobbies (besides Charlie and his flowers and Harold and his paintable clay figurines) are the cats. Rascal and Lucy keep everyone entertained. Rascal is a slightly scrawny, male cat who loves attention. Rascal also loves the pillows some of the residents have on their wheel chairs. If one of them sits in a regular chair to work, he’s sure to crash out on their wheel chair. That is, he’ll take a nap there if he’s not too busy laying on my physics or chemistry book I’m trying to read between helping residents. Lucy is a little more timid and refined. She doesn’t like walkers, carts, or wheel chairs. She doesn’t even like being walked up to very much. But if she’s on a table, she’s happy to let you pet her, a lot.
If you couldn’t tell, I’m really enjoying it. It’s so peaceful and nice in that little, colorful room with the big windows.
I hope the sale goes well for the arts and crafts! It seems to me that having to sell things just to keep the Crafts and Hobbies department functioning is a little bit worrisome. I think that anything that could make resident’s happy should be considered important. I could be biased, though, because I am quite artsy fartsy, as even my dad has said.
ReplyDeleteI also understand, though, that arts programs aren’t necessary to living. Other programs and departments will receive funding first because they are necessary. It is smart of the veterans home to sell the things that the residents make, though. The seem to have realized that this program is important, if not important enough to justify giving Crafts and Hobbies a large chunk of the budget. To me, this underfunding is a problem, though IVH isn’t to blame. Hopefully someone important will realize just how big of a problem this underfunding really is.
I would have to agree with Jess, having to sell what the seniors make just to keep making them is worrying. It seems like the people who live there should be able to do what they want with the stuff they make. When their crafts are sold in order to pay for more supplies it sounds more like they are working there then retiring there. Part of the homes function should be to provide entertainment not to put the seniors to work. But I guess as long as the people there are happy then that is all that really matters. It is good to hear that you are enjoying the service, it makes the time go much faster and seem much more pleasant when you're having fun.
ReplyDeleteHey guys, sorry it took me so long to respond. The way that crafts pays for itself by charging for the finished product is more complicated than manifest at first. Many of the crafts made like coloring and such never will sell. It’s not like they’re obsessed with profit or anything. Furthermore, the prices are quite low and the person who made it has the first opportunity to buy it, which they don’t usually do. They don’t want to keep the thing they make, they want to share them with other people. Finally, if someone just wants to use the space and tools in crafts, but bring in their own material to work with, they are more than welcome to do so. Occasionally I do see someone who has brought in their own things and then taken the final product with them. Plus, this framework creates a smooth way for one member of crafts to acquire an item that another has made.
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