Written by Lisa Danes, COTS Volunteer

When I approached COTS with the desire to volunteer, they considered my background and interests before suggesting I lead a creative writing group. The creative writing group at COTS was a great opportunity for me to sit down with residents once a week to share my skills while helping them to develop their own.

The class started out more formal, but after getting to know the residents who attended, evolved into a fun and creative experience. We worked together on different poems and short stories covering nature, animals and art. A few of our sessions were held in the classroom, with two at area parks where we practiced observing our surroundings and looking for inspiration. One resident also submitted a piece of poetry written in the group to be included in the COTS resident newsletter. The class was capped off with a trip to the local Harmony Café for Open Mind (Mic) Night.

The group gave the residents a chance to explore their imaginations in a safe and open learning environment. Sharing what we had written gave us a chance to enjoy each other’s creative minds while offering our opinions and praise.

Each class also gave us a chance to share some details about ourselves and get to know each other a little better. We discussed our hobbies as well our favorite books. I felt like the class allowed the residents to open up to each other as well me. Getting to know the residents in attendance was a truly fulfilling experience that made me happy to offer my time as a volunteer at COTS.