The youth of the church repaid them through the small act of drawing their portraits
By Katherine Li
Special to The Sun
On Thursday, Aug. 23, the Cherry Hill Chinese Christian Church gathered together to show their appreciation for the elderly residing in the Voorhees Care and Rehabilitation Center. Among them are war veterans, humanitarians and engineers, who have each contributed to society today in a way that cannot be ignored. The youth of the church, who are talented young artists, repaid them through the small act of drawing their portraits, immortalizing their faces with pencil, paint, ink and paper.
On this day, these artists held an exhibition within the center. Following a short introduction by each artist, each portrait was gifted personally — and even with their varying levels of artistic experience, each was able to bring joy to those around them. Chelsea Yang, a participating young artist, stated that “this experience helped [her to] realize that using [her] interests to help others brings [her] as much joy as the one who was helped,” expressing her thoughts on the emotional exchanges. Through this, the community fostered new connections between the seniors and the youth.
Alongside portraits, the people came together with song and spoken words. They sang Christian music, with talented piano and flute players, in a small performance for the elderly. Additionally, various spokespersons reminded the seniors of their appreciation for their important, lasting impacts, and spoke about the everlasting love of God — that salvation will come to those who accept it. These meaningful words, again, helped to strengthen an atmosphere of connection throughout the room. “I’m so happy our drawings and singing brought them smiles and brightened their day,” said Alena Zhang, one of the young artists and musicians involved in the event.
While the event only lasted for a few hours, the memories created will always be present within the interconnectedness of the local community.
