KleinLife's Russian Speaking program shares their personal hobbies & talents such as gardening, painting, knitting, and photography.
KleinLife’s Russian Speaking program is a tight-knit community of 130 people. Our participants and staff share the same cultural background and consider each other family as they typically spend a lot of time together at our center. This community has had several months of challenges in adjusting to the new norm and figuring out new ways to give and receive support in times of joy and sorrow.
Since the onset of the pandemic, participants have met over Zoom weekly for regular programs such as lectures, classes, and birthday parties, and also for unfortunate events such as memorial services. They are delighted to see familiar faces and feel connected. During the meetings, participants expressed their desire to learn more about each other and discovered each other’s’ many talents.
“The best part is usually seeing the spark in participants’ eyes as they look at each other’s work and learn of each other’s talents. We see the pride and connectivity they feel through sharing their efforts with each other.” -Marina Zhitnitskaya, KleinLife’s Russian Speaking program coordinator
With encouragement, they began sending in photos of activities that they engage in and art projects that they create to share their positivity and joy during the pandemic with others in our virtual programs. Participants have discovered the many talents that their peers have, such as gardening, knitting, photography, and painting. KleinLife’s Russian Speaking program coordinator, Marina Zhitnitskaya, states, “The best part is usually seeing the spark in participants’ eyes as they look at each other’s work and learn of each other’s talents. We see the pride and connectivity they feel through sharing their efforts with each other.”