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Politics & Government

Lacey Residents Time Travel at Intergenerational Meeting

Municipal Alliance discusses the success of Time Travelers, a program to unite residents of different ages

In an effort to bridge the generation gap, a group of 10 senior citizens and 10 Lacey Township High School students came together to “time travel.”

The day-long program, Time Travelers, sponsored by the Lacey Township Municipal Alliance, matched the seniors and students for a series of exercises designed to help the participants gain a greater understanding of the other’s generation.

“We looked for students who weren’t very involved in the school community who might benefit from having another role model, another adult interested in their lives,” said Heather Scanlon, Municipal Alliance Coordinator, at Monday night‘s meeting. “We recruited seniors from around town, some of whom were reluctant because they didn’t know what to expect, but ended up loving it and feeling it was well worth it.”

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The program began with “ice-breakers,” games designed to help participants get to know each other and then form pairs. Each pair was given interview questions to ask the other, such as “What’s your favorite color?” or “What’s your fondest memory?” The group then reconvened and the seniors and students introduced each other, using the information they had gained from the exercises.

At the end of the day, Scanlon said the participants shared how they felt about the program during “circle time.”

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“It was emotional,” she said. “You could feel they were connected and were glad to have been part of the project.”

Scanlon had been talking about having an intergenerational program for the past couple of years, knowing that people, especially seniors, involved in their community are generally healthier and happier.

The program was dubbed Time Travelers because the children go back in time learning about the senior citizens’ experiences and the seniors are pushed forward in time learning about today’s youngsters.

A second session is planned for April 13 at Murray Grove Retreat and Renewal Center in the Lanoka Harbor section of the township. The students will share what they learned about their older friends in a creative way, such as a written story, and, as a team, the pairs will design their coat of arms.

In Other News

Scanlon announced that the Municipal Alliance will receive a $1,000 Ocean County tourism grant to promote their 5K race, set to take place on Aug. 27.

The grant was part of the county’s Matching Tourism Grant Program, which this year provided 51 grants to municipalities and non-profit organizations to help promote events throughout the county. The Alliance has to spend $2,000 on promotion of the race in order to receive the county grant, Scanlon said.

For the first time in the 5K’s 10-year history, the Alliance will have a dedicated website for the event with the hope of increasing participation, Scanlon said. Last year, 300 people ran the race.

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