The spring visit to the ”School of life” motivated seniors to join the celebration of the Year of Bolesław Leśmian in Zamość. As a result, another multigenerational performance was staged. It consisted of a musical-verbal variety show entitled “Meadow” and a stage adaptation of the ballad “Dusiołek”.

On 31 May our Senior Community Station was visited by senior citizens from Lublin. This study visit was organized by “Friendship,” a Foundation for Development and Social Activity, within the framework of a currently implemented project entitled “SCC – Senior Civic Club II”. This project is financed from the ASOS government funding programme and its goal is to strengthen the idea of civic society among 40 people who are aged over sixty.

The traditional New Year’s meeting for volunteers, friends and charges of the Senior Community Station was held on 12 January. A Christmas show was undoubtedly the biggest attraction of the whole event. The show was performed by seniors from our Senior Community Station as well as children and teenagers from theatrical groups operating in “Okrąglak”.

A New Year’s integration meeting for seniors, volunteers and people engaged in the completion of tasks set by the Senior Community Station will be held in the hall of “Okrąglak” Local Culture Centre. The meeting will take place at 4 p.m. on 12 January. The programme includes: a greeting, a snack and a theatrical performance specially prepared for this occasion. The leitmotif of the performance will be Christmas.

Fortune-telling, prophecies and traditional games dominated seniors’ meeting which was held on the last day on November. The programme included a lecture about St. Andrew’s Day traditions in various Polish regions as well as pouring hot wax, foretelling the future from lots, tea leaves and cards. The meeting was also attended by volunteers who had prepared most of the attractions.

Two meetings in the Senior Community Station were animated by foreign volunteers, Alberto and Sergio. They talked about their countries , regions and cities. Alberto discussed Italy, Sicily and his home town, Ragusa, whereas Sergio talked about Spain, Murcia region and Mula.

Beautiful weather was an incentive for seniors to go out for a stroll in Zamość park. It turned out that not all of them had seen this place after its revitalization. The seniors were enchanted by the renovated stairs, the bridges, the pond with the fountains which had been redeveloped and cleaned, as well as the beautifully-designed flowerbeds. At the end of the walk, the seniors had tea in a café in the Old Town.

The Volunteer Centre in Zamość is organizing an outing to the cinema for VCZ members to see the screening of “Smolensk”. The film will be shown at 12:30 on 9 September. Everyone interested is requested to contact us by phone, email or personally by 8 September.

“A summertime breeze from Japan” – such was the slogan of an event attended by members of the Senior Community Station.

They had the opportunity to meet and talk to Japanese people, to hear information about the art of Japanese cuisine, and learn how to use chopsticks as well as savour sushi.

A visit to a small factory producing caramels and lollipops was another holiday attraction organized for seniors. In this factory, the whole production process takes place in front of the customer’s eyes. All the products are handmade from natural ingredients. The seniors listened to a lecture about the seventh-century recipe. They also watched a practical demonstration. In the end, everyone had the opportunity to make a colourful lollipop all by themselves. The visit to the factory gave all the seniors a lot of joy and certainly made them feel better.

The plan of holiday meetings for senior members of our Senior Community Station

is very interesting indeed. Apart from scheduled activities and a trip to Kazimierz Dolny and Lublin, there are plans for an outing to the cinema, to the zoo, to Zamość lake as well as two guided walks in the Old Town.

Seniors from ”zielona świetlica” decided to see places renovated last year. They visited the Arsenal, the Gunpowder Magazine; they also walked along the fortifications and took a tourist route related to the “war” history of Zamość. The trip was organized on the seniors’ own initiative and their guide turned out to be a friend of one of them.

On 11 May we buried Regina Kwiatkowska in Zamość Municipal Cemetery. Regina Kwiatkowska was 103 years old and she was our oldest beneficiary who participated in many activities for seniors. Not so long ago, on 15 September last year, we jubilantly celebrated her birthday and there was no indication she would leave us for ever.

Painting, rope-wrapping, covering with sequins, coloured paper and lace – these are modern techniques of making Easter eggs. The seniors familiarized themselves with these techniques during an art class.

A music and spoken word performance about springtime is another artistic initiative prepared by the seniors. The original script has been written by Janina Lachowska, whereas the music has been composed by Tadeusz Flor.

The members of the Senior Community Station ended the carnival with a premiere performance by a Human-Arm -Puppet Theatre. The traditional Fat Tuesday celebrations prepared by seniors and volunteers were held on 9 February. There were snacks, dances as well as games in occasional masks and – first and foremost – a premiere performance by the Senior Human-Arm-Puppet Theatre.

On 9 February we are going to celebrate Fat Tuesday in the Senior Community Station.

In the programme: the ceremonial opening of the event, The Adventures of His Lordship the King – a premiere performance by a human-arm puppet theatre, dances, pleasant talks over sweets, coffee and tea. We are inviting all the seniors interested in spending some time together. We are starting at 11:00.

Doughnuts and cenci from Zamość patisseries dominated the Thursday menu in our Senior Community Station. All of this is due to tradition: this year the last Thursday before Lent fell on 4 February.

Since September, a team of seniors who are artistically skilled has been working on a play entitled The Adventures of His Lordship the King („Przygody króla jegomościa”). It is going to be an original theatrical performance by a human-arm puppet theatre. The seniors animate the puppets and they lend their voices to them. Janina Lachowska is the director and the author of the scenario based on the poem by Jan Brzechwa. Tadeusz Flor is taking care of the musical setting. Another group of seniors is preparing the props and the stage scenery under the guidance of Marzena Miśkiewicz. Because the premiere will be held on 9 February, Shrove Tuesday, they are making carnival masks for the guests. Igi, Fany, Ania and Bruno, who are volunteers, are participating and assisting in all these activities.

An art room operates within the framework of the Senior Community Station. Sewing and needlework are one the forms of activities done by seniors. The classes are particularly popular when they can jointly do something interesting and original. Hen-shaped pillows were the output of the recent art class.

As it turns out, eurhythmics − a new form of activity offered to seniors − hit the bull’s-eye. The seniors are fond of this type of activity because it is adjusted to their capabilities and their age. They do gymnastics and work out with the aid of sticks, balls, bands and air pads. The equipment has been bought from EVZ project funds. The classes are conducted twice a week by a certified physiotherapist, Anna Kitka.

A benefit gala organized in celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of Stanisław Pasieczny’s artistic work attracted many of his admirers, including senior members of the Volunteer Centre in Zamość. Stanisław Pasieczny is “a pastellist who is in love with Zamość and who reconstructs the cityscape in a unique and unmatched way”.

On 14 October, Senior Community Station participants went to Zamość Community Centre to see the play Dad Has a Cat (or Read to Me Daddy) („Tata ma kota (albo poczytaj mi tato”) put on by InVitro Pre-premiere Stage from Lublin. The performance they saw touched upon the problem of breaking-up marriages and children whose fathers lose their rights of custody after they divorce. The show aroused mixed emotions which were later discussed by the seniors during cultural therapy sessions. They certainly liked the actors’ performance − especially from Przemysław Sadowski, whom they often see in TV series.

On 15 September, the Board of the Volunteer Centre in Zamość and seniors celebrated the 103rd birthday of the oldest citizen of Zamość, who happens to be the VCZ’s senior member. There were flowers, a birthday card, a birthday cake with candles and a lot of warm greetings. Deeply moved, Regina Kwiatkowska said she was thankful for help, support and the fact that she could be among kind-hearted people. As she underlined, the secret of her longevity lies in deep faith, a sunny disposition, hard work and fasting.

There is no summer break in Daytime Community Centre. The organizers are doing their best to provide senior memebers with support, scheduled activities as well as additional attractions − like in the other months of the year. In spite of extreme weather conditions, Daytime Community Centre meetings are well attended.

The sixth annual New Year’s meeting for senior citizens, volunteers and coordinators of the “Still needed” project was held at Aspirant on 8 January. The meeting was attended by regular members of the Daytime Community Centre and other charges of the Volunteer Centre in Zamość (VCZ).

A group of ten members from our Daytime Community Centre were delighted by a trip to the local salt cave. Surrounded by soothing music, our seniors could relax while breathing healthy air. Our next visit coming soon!

There is no such thing as summer holidays for our Daytime Community Centre. On Tuesdays and Thursdays regular meetings will be held at our headquarters; apart from manual classes, reading and music therapy, we also invite our members to summer walks, visits to the local gallery and library, an outdoor party and trips to the cinema and salt cave. We also prepared language classes, “Playing with words,” which improve memory and enhance creativity.

In accordance with our project timetable, a scheduled spring meeting for our members and volunteers took place on Tuesday, April 29. Such meetings are attended by quite a number of beneficiaries since they provide an opportunity for conversations and reminiscences accompanied by music, poetry and refreshments.

“Fat Thursday” is a special day because it commences the last week of the carnival and is the last Thursday before Lent. On this particular day in Poland and the catholic regions of Germany we cheerfully binge on fat meat and fried dough. It is generally believed that if you do not eat at least one doughnut on Fat Thursday, you will have bad luck throughout the whole year. As you can see in the photos, our members made sure no bad luck would happen to them!

A surprise reception, romantic music, love poetry and Valentine cards – these were the main attractions on this year’s Valentine’s Day in the Daytime Community Centre. The overall joy and enthusiasm were the best proof that our members accept and welcome the American holiday as we all agreed that there is no such thing as too much love.

On Monday, January 13, 50 people participated in our annual New Year’s meeting in “Okrąglak” for the coordinators, volunteers and beneficiaries of our project for aiding the victims of Nazism. Filled with music, poetry and sharing memories, the get-together also included a performance prepared by the young artists from the European Union Group of Community Schools.

Our annual Christmas get-together brought lots of joy to both our members and volunteers as we sang carols and enjoyed traditional dishes. We were also thrilled to have with us Regina Kwiatkowska, our oldest member of the daytime community centre, who turned 101 this December. Our next meeting was scheduled on 13 January 2014.

At the invitation of the Senior Club „Sunny Autumn,” the members of the Daytime Community Centre took part in an evening meeting celebrating the Independence Day on November 11. It is an annual event whose main part is group singing of patriotic songs. One of the meeting’s organisers was Tadeusz Flor who conducts classes in musical therapy at our centre.

„A Community Which No Longer Exists. In the Footsteps of the Jews from Zamość” was the title of a lecture given to our members and volunteers in the “Synagogue” Centre where The Multimedia Museum of the History of Jews of Zamość and the Surrounding Area was established in 2011.

Apart from meetings and classes in our Daytime Community Centre as well as those organised as a part of the on-going project, the members of the Volunteer Centre often take part in other cultural activities.

On Sunday, 1 September, on the 74th anniversary of the German attack on Poland, Zamość commemorated the victims of war. The ceremony commenced with a Holy Mass in the Cathedral. Later, the participants visited the Rotunda. The celebrations were attended by veterans and combatants, the members of the VCZ, who were accompanied by volunteers.

On 14 August the soldiers from the Zamość Garrison as well as veterans and combatants celebrated the Polish Armed Forces Day at the Main Square. Among them were the members of the Volunteer Centre in Zamość who with great interest attended the exhibition „From Grundwald to Krasnobród” showing the works of Stanisław Bodes, a battle scene painter from Hrubieszów who created a few hundred paintings during the last fourty years glorifying the Polish army. He devoted his entire ouevre to knights, Hussars, Uhlans and soldiers. The ceremony closed with a Holy Mass in Zamość Cathedral.

There are no holidays in the Daytime Community Centre since both regular members and new guests participate in our Tuesday and Thursday meetings. For people who live alone it is sometimes the only highlight of their week. Our members enjoy all kinds of needlework, singing, watching films, reading poetry and talking to other people.

Fourteen delegates from Schwaebisch Hall, our partner city, visited Zamość from 9 to 12 July. The delegation included the representatives of non-governmental organizations and the police. On 11 July the guests visited “Okrąglak” where they were introduced to the activities of the Community Initiatives Forum and the Volunteer Centre in Zamość.

Maria and Rajmund Duławski, a pair of poets from Zamość, and Jerzy Burda, a musician, were the guests of the spring Café of Stories, which took place in Corner Pub’s stylish interiors in Żeromska Street. The exquisite cuisine, sounds of guitar and poetic stanzas created an unforgettable atmosphere amongst the participants. As usual, the meeting was conducted by Krystyna Rybińska-Smyk.

As a part of the on-going project, the senior members of the Daytime Community Centre took part in the screening of one of the latest Polish films “Układ zamknięty.” Group outings to the cinema and post-screening discussions enjoy considerable popularity amongst our senior participants.

On Saturday, 7 April, a post-Easter meeting for 45 senior citizens was held in „Okrąglak.” The participants took the opportunity to celebrate the event by reminiscing, conversing as well as group singing. Marian Kaczmarczyk delighted the participants with his epigrams and humorous sketches on spring and past celebrations. The next meeting will be held in May.

It’s been six months since Daytime Community Centre began operating in “Okrąglak.” It is the only place in Zamość where twice a week senior citizens are given an opportunity to spend some quality time in the company of volunteers, interesting guests and other senior members.

On December 28, a Christmas/New Year’s meeting of the senior citizens with volunteers took place. Gathered around a beautifully adorned table, the guests talked about Christmas customs and sang carols. Our ladies who took part in the Centre’s music therapy delighted the guests with their vocal skills. What is more, Barbara Mazurkiewcz, a local poetess, presented her occasional poems.

A meeting with a musician and the leader of the group “Oni”, Piotr Szymański in the „Verona” restaurant (01.10.2012), a meeting with the conductor of the “Rezonans” choir, Alicja Saturska, in the “Corner Pub” restaurant (15.10.2012), the screening of “Bitwa pod Wiedniem” (Battle of Vienna) (18.10.2012 r.), a lecture held by Łukasz Szczepański, MD, about dietary supplements and healthy nutrition (11.10.2012), a performance of “Smok Wawelski” (The Wawel Dragon) staged by the children theatre company from “Okrąglak” – all of the above are various activities prepared for the participants by their coordinators in addition to those offered in the Daytime Community Centre. The events were organized in cooperation with associations “Art Avant” and “Drukarnia Wyobraźni” and were met with overall enthusiasm as evidenced by high attendance and general satisfaction of the participants. The senior citizens also took part in a study visit of young people from Lithuania, Russia and the Ukraine who arrived to the Volunteer Centre in Zamość on 9 October.

Senior citizens associated with the Volunteer Centre in Zamość are invited to make use of the services provided by the Daytime Community Centre every Tuesday and Thursday, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Osie­dlo­wy Dom Kul­tu­ry „Okrąglak” (S.Wy­szyńskie­go 28A, tel. (84) 6273775)