The Birches Assisted Living is a diverse community of residents and associates from a variety of nationalities and heritages. To honor this diversity, The Birches hosted “International Week,” a program celebrating cultural diversity in both The Birches community and the world.
The program began on Monday, April 7th with Birches associate Henny Huizinga’s presentation on the Netherlands. Huizinga, who is of Dutch descent, discussed the culture of the Netherlands and brought in various items representative of the culture, including tulips, shortbread almond bars, and Dutch windmill cookies.
On Tuesday, April 8th students from Aqsa School, a Muslim girl’s school in Bridgeview, visited The Birches as part of a community service day. The girls were happy to spend time with Birches residents and even brought some traditional Middle Eastern food for the residents to try.
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Aqsa student Reem Odeh said she thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the residents of The Birches. “Each resident has something to say, so it’s fun to listen to all of them and get their opinions,” said Odeh.
The girls’ visit also included a student dance performance, violin performance, and participation in a project with Birches residents making blankets for hospitalized children.
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When asked what she and her students liked most about their visit to The Birches, Aqsa school teacher Asmah Abdallah said, “I think just interacting with the people, getting to know them, learning from them, listening to what they have to say, and just giving them our company and our time.”
The Birches continued “International Week” on Wednesday with a crepe making presentation by Birches Director of Encore and Memory Services Jackie Raschke, a visit from a Marie Antoinette impersonator, and a showing of the movie Chocolat.
On Thursday, The Birches celebrated Egyptian culture with an Egyptian-themed craft led by Birches associate Janet Salama, who is Egyptian. Later in the day, The Birches also hosted a presentation on Egyptian art.
On Friday, The Birches community gathered together for an “International Show and Share” in which residents were given the opportunity to share different mementos representative of their culture. The community also participated in a potluck meal comprised of foods from various cultures.
This week-long celebration was a wonderful way to acknowledge the great diversity that exists at The Birches. It also provided The Birches community with an opportunity to get to know one another better by learning about each person’s unique cultural roots. Although the week has come to a close, The Birches looks forward to carrying on its celebration of cultural diversity throughout the rest of the year.
