Today, I had the opportunity to lead a meaningful lip balm–making workshop for seniors at GAIA Community Centre. The idea came from a friend who volunteers regularly at GAIA and invited me to bring a hands-on, engaging activity to their Thursday evening art program for seniors.
About a month before the event, I visited the centre to assess the space and discuss logistics. After meeting with the coordinator, we decided to open 15 spots and required pre-registration to allow time to prepare materials. By two weeks before the event, 12 seniors had signed up. To ensure a smooth process, we capped the number at 12 and began final preparations.
Since pouring lip balm into molds requires precision, I pre-made about 80% of the product. During the workshop, seniors were invited to choose their favorite lip balm tubes and prepare them for filling. Trained volunteers then completed the pouring process. I invited three volunteers and one on-site social worker to assist. To ensure readiness, I also held a training session earlier in the week to walk volunteers through the steps.
On the event day, the social worker welcomed the participants, introduced me, and helped manage the flow. A GAIA staff member was also present to take photos and capture key moments. In the end, each participant left with a beautifully scented and personalized lip balm. The seniors expressed great joy and appreciation, and the volunteers also found the experience fun and rewarding.
Thank you to Neighbourhood Small Grant for making this special community experience possible.
