One of the most significant challenges facing our aging population is the lack of opportunities to engage with others. 

Isolation and inactivity can rob our elderly of a sense of purpose and the chance to truly thrive in the communities they call home. This isolation can be painful and often causes the elderly to abandon the very activities that once filled them with joy and purpose, eroding their physical, mental, and emotional health. This diminished quality of life can be devastating for our older loved ones, and it’s the reason that Housing with Hope developed our Seniors Day Out program.

Extensive research has found that art projects decrease depression and anxiety, conditions that often accompany chronic diseases in the elderly. And, exposure to arty therapy has been shown to provide a sense of meaning and purpose to older individuals, who may otherwise gradually decline into depression. 

All the science pointed us to developing the Housing with Hope Golden Arts program.  

Arts program is taught by artist Danielle Corso of Art Chick Designs, LLC, and features art classes provided on-site at senior housing and community centers in Union County, NJ. The program is designed to provide creative workshops for seniors that build confidence and autonomy while our community members have fun in the process!

Classes explore forms of expression including painting, drawing, collage, and mixed media. Each session is inherently therapeutic and designed to stimulate cognitive and fine motor skills. 

Currently, Golden Arts is provided to the seniors at:

• Springfield Senior Housing
• Scotch Plains Senior Housing
• Cranford Senior Housing

Should you be interested in bringing the Golden Arts program to your senior living community, please send us an email at register@housingwithhope.org.

Golden Arts is made possible by funds from the Union County Office of Cultural & Heritage Affairs, a partner of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, and a grant from the Northfield Bank Foundation.