CenterLight Healthcare PACE held a special celebration of Diwali, the Festival of Lights, on Wednesday, Oct. 22, at the South Asian Cultural Center, located at 97-35 Allendale St. in Jamaica.
The celebration kicked off with a group exercise session intended to help energize and connect the participating seniors. Then, participating seniors, along with their families and CenterLight Healthcare PACE staff members, took part in a vibrant afternoon of cultural celebration, reflection and community.
Those on hand for this celebration enjoyed traditional music and dance performances, festive decorations, storytelling and a specially prepared meal. This event reflected the center’s light, creating a space for shared celebration and cultural engagement while being rooted in the cultural diversity of the local community and strengthened by the care and support CenterLight provides to its participating seniors.
“When we started this center, we had the belief that if we created a place where people felt welcome — where their culture was celebrated and honored — they would thrive,” CenterLight President and CEO Tara Buonocore-Rut said. “It has been a privilege to share in our participants’ rich cultural traditions. While CenterLight provides the care they need, our participants enrich our lives by allowing us to join in these joyful celebrations of light and community.”
Ayesha Siddiqua, a CenterLight PACE participant for two years, always looks forward to her visits to the Jamaica center. On top of the medical care and physical therapy she gets from the PACE Center, she goes to the Jamaica center three times a week. She loves to take part in the special events held there, like this Diwali celebration.
“We are very happy to be celebrating Diwali today. It’s CenterLight — but actually, it should be called CenterLife,” Siddiqua said. “Here, you’ll find people who don’t traditionally celebrate Diwali because it’s not part of their culture — but at CenterLight, they make it possible for everyone to celebrate together and share. Whether it’s through movement, food or simply talking about Diwali, CenterLight believes in one family.”
CenterLight’s South Asian Center features plenty of culturally focused programming. The staff there encourages participants to celebrate and share their traditions and to embrace the diversity of the wider CenterLight community.
Events like this Diwali celebration exemplify CenterLight’s belief in the importance and power of community, culture and inclusive care.
