Abstract

The winter holidays can bring the issue of diversity to the forefront, since neither volunteers nor those served necessarily celebrate in the same ways. This effective practice shares an activity, adapted from a CHP International diversity and human relations exercise, that will encourage volunteers to reflect on their own traditions and examine, with awareness and sensitivity, the traditions of others. Katy Allen-Caballero, Project Director of a Foster Grandparent Program in, Rochester, New York, shared this exercise with the NSSCTalk e-mail discussion list in December 2002, after using it successfully at an in-service.

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Issue

Identifying holiday game ideas, puzzles, and mixers designed to be used with Foster Grandparents and Senior Companion volunteers at their December in-service.

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Action

This activity has been used successfully at a Foster Grandparent/Senior Companion Program in-service. However, other programs should be able to adapt the exercise to fit their needs.Organize the volunteers into small groups of about four to five people. It is desirable to mix up volunteers so that they aren't sitting with the same folks with whom they always interact. Each person in the group receives a handout with the following questions, and is given five minutes to write down (or think about) their answers.

Sharing our Names and Cultures Activity:

Objective: Share a little about yourself, your name and your unique culture.Each person should take a few minutes to answer the following questions and then share as a group.

1. What is your full name?
2. Who named you?
3. What significance does your name have? Were you named after someone?
4. What do you like about your name?
5. What do you dislike about your name?
6. Anything else of interest about your name?
7. Share a story about a tradition you had growing up around Thanksgiving or the December holidays (Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, New Year's, other).
8. Share a story about a tradition you have with your own family as an adult at Thanksgiving or the December holidays.

After everyone has had enough time to write their own responses, they can share one at a time with their small group. Allow approximately 20 minutes for sharing within the small groups. Then volunteers from each group may share their stories with the larger group. A discussion about cultural diversity and how traditions both vary and can be similar is an appropriate follow-up to this activity.

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Context

According to the Foster Grandparent Operations Handbook, those who manage Foster Grandparent Programs are responsible for providing an average of four hours of monthly in-service training.

In-service trainings can cover a variety of topics. During the holiday months the issue of diversity is particularly relevant. Having volunteers share their stories can bring volunteers closer together, while fostering awareness and sensitivity to the diversity of other cultures.

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Citation

Adapted from a CHP diversity and human relations exercise

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Outcome

According to Katy Allen, Project Director in Rochester, New York, Foster Grandparents and Senior Companions both enjoyed this activity.

During the discussion that follows the exercise, project directors may focus on diversity among the children and elders with whom Foster Grandparents and Senior Companions serve, and all participants can brainstorm appropriate ways to talk about the holidays at their sites.

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Posted On

December 15, 2004

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For More Information

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Related Practices

• Answering children's letters during the holidays

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Related sites

Behind the Name

Topic Areas

• Diversity
• Training
• Senior Corps
• Volunteer
• Foster Grandparent Programs
• Senior Companion Programs
• Program management

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