Intergenerational activities to reduce social isolation and encourage community service among the youth.
Since 1990, Caritas Jerusalem has operated the Elderly Day Care Center (EDCC) in Ramallah, West Bank, standing out as one of the few initiatives dedicated to serving older persons. This center has emerged as a vital provider of social services for senior citizens, offering both physical and psychosocial support. The primary objective of the center is to enhance the wellbeing of elderly people through a comprehensive program addressing their social, medical, physical, and emotional needs. It provides a welcoming environment for seniors to gather, socialize, and pass their time in meaningful ways.
Additionally, the center fosters social integration by encouraging youth to volunteer and engage in activities that support the elderly, thereby creating opportunities for intergenerational interaction. Youth volunteers are empowered and engaged to care for elderly and enhance their visibility in society and promote awareness of their rights to a decent life.
By bridging the gap in understanding among youth regarding the challenges faced by elderly individuals in their communities, this intervention serves as an educational tool, fostering empathy and prompting better care for senior citizens.
A documentary film that captures the narrative of the elderly shedding light on their living conditions, coupled with the experiences and interactions of the youth with the elderly, presents a promising prospect for instigating positive change within the community.
This initiative serves to underscore the significance of supporting senior citizens and challenges the perception of them as burdens on society. Furthermore, it reinforces the social teachings of the Catholic Church, which emphasize the responsibility of the privileged to aid the vulnerable.
