Chelsea Senior Center and Camp Gabika Cultivate Connections Across Generations

Camp Gabika campers transplant basil seedlings during an intergenerational gardening activity at Chelsea Senior Center’s Trinh Pifer Intergenerational Garden.

A partnership between Camp Gabika and Chelsea Senior Center gives children and older adults the opportunity to learn alongside one another through gardening and interactive activities. Campers visit the Trinh Pifer Intergenerational Garden twice each week during the summer, where they help plant and harvest vegetables, explore nature, and participate in special intergenerational programs with participants in the Ease the Day Program.

Throughout the summer, Camp Gabika campers visit the senior center every Monday and Thursday morning to help in the garden. Intergenerational Program Counselor Lindsay Smith plans hands-on activities with input from Intergenerational Garden Manager Allison Rullman. “Allison walks me around the garden, and I use what’s growing and what’s ready to be harvested to plan for the week,” said Smith. “I love offering a science-based lesson where the kids will be engaged and can get their hands dirty.”

Guided by Smith, senior center garden volunteers and Camp Gabika counselors help the children participate in activities and lessons like exploring the compost pile, harvesting potatoes and learning about root vegetables, planting beans, and filtering water after learning about soil drainage and water systems.

Several times each summer, those visits include a special collaboration with Chelsea Senior Center's adult day program, part of its Ease the Day Caregiver Support Program that provides meaningful engagement for older adults while offering respite for caregivers.

For Ease the Day Program Manager Emily Nagaonkar, the intergenerational visits have become a highlight of the summer. "Many of our participants don't have grandchildren nearby," she said. "This gives them a chance to connect with children, and it's wonderful to see the kids' curiosity as they talk with our friends. Those genuine connections happen so naturally."

The activities are intentionally designed to encourage interaction. During one visit, children and program participants planted basil seeds together. Weeks later, the campers returned to transplant the thriving seedlings, giving families a plant to take home. "What I loved was that everyone felt like they were helping someone else," Nagaonkar said. "Some of our participants felt they were helping the children, while the kids enjoyed helping our friends. It really worked both ways."

Those shared experiences can have a lasting impact. Chelsea Senior Center emphasizes living in the moment, and that is especially relevant for participants living with memory loss.  “Our friends may not remember every detail afterward," Nagaonkar said, "but we see them engaged in a different way during these experiences. It's refreshing to have children here. It brings a different kind of energy into the program."

Volunteer Wanda Bishop experienced that joy firsthand. She and other senior center volunteers assisted participants who worked side by side to create finger puppets featuring different pollinators. Volunteers then helped participants gather around a colorful parachute for games reinforcing a lesson about pollination. Laughter filled the room as campers carried colorful "pollen" to “flowers” held by the adults.

"It was so much fun," Bishop said. "Everybody was smiling." One quiet moment especially stayed with her. A young boy spent the craft activity chatting with one of the adults as they colored together. Later, when it was time to leave, he turned and waved goodbye to his new friend.

"Watching the kids interact with our friends is really special. It brings back memories, and doing the games and crafts together creates a wonderful connection," Bishop said.

The success of these intergenerational experiences is made possible by dedicated volunteers who spend time building relationships. Chelsea Senior Center is currently seeking compassionate volunteers to assist with Ease the Day’s adult day program. Volunteers engage participants in conversation, activities, games, crafts, and special events like these visits from Camp Gabika. No special experience is required, only a welcoming spirit and a desire to make a difference in just a few hours a week. Volunteers receive training and the opportunity to enrich the lives of older adults while creating meaningful connections of their own. To learn more about volunteering, contact Chelsea Senior Center at 734-475-9242 or Connected@ChelseaSeniors.org.

Whether as a volunteer, participant, or camper, everyone benefits from these shared experiences. The visits bring conversation, purpose, laughter, and the simple joy of being with children. Campers leave with new gardening skills, a better understanding of nature, and an appreciation for spending time with older adults, and volunteers have the joy of witnessing the friendships and moments of connection that grow across generations.

Whether they're planting basil, harvesting vegetables, or laughing beneath a colorful parachute, Camp Gabika and Chelsea Senior Center are growing more than a garden. Together, they're cultivating relationships that remind everyone involved that meaningful connections can flourish at every age.