Student volunteers bring joy and connection to Hamilton's seniors through monthly makeover sessions to combat senior isolation
GlamourGals McMaster is a student-run MSU club that combats senior isolation through monthly makeovers. GlamourGals McMaster is the first Canadian chapter of the GlamourGals Foundation, an American based organization. With over 300 interested volunteers this year, the program has demonstrated a strong dedication to addressing senior isolation.
Anjali Singh, one of the club's co-presidents, emphasized the importance of creating a welcoming environment for both seniors and volunteers. “All the interested volunteers have to be added to our GlamourGals portal. Once they're on there we have a mailing list set up, so we let them know when makeovers are happening,” said Singh.
GlamourGals McMaster works with Caroline Place Retirement Residence in downtown Hamilton. Available volunteers are responsible for their own transportation to the home. Another co-president of GlamourGals McMaster, Ridhi Gopalakrishnan, spoke to the lasting relationships the group has built with residents of the home.
“That's the only senior home and it's also been nice actually because we've been able to build up a really longitudinal relationship with them. I think it's been more than five years now,” said Gopalakrishnan.
These monthly makeup sessions typically last about an hour. Volunteers that are trained by the executives of the club paint and file the nails of the residents.
“In terms of the actual makeovers themselves, we're kind of limited, because there's health and safety concerns. For example, you can't cut the nails of some people because of issues with diabetes. So we are kind of limited to filing and nail polish,” said Serena Cavalier, the vice-president of GlamourGals.
“We're also super cognizant of the role that the seniors play in our community. So you know, trying our best to preserve their autonomy and making sure that they're always feeling comfortable at all of our events . . . Sometimes we go in and a certain senior doesn't want their nails done, so we'd respect that, but also encourage a volunteer to still sit down and chat with them, even if they're not doing their nails so they're still feeling engaged in some sort of way,” said Gopalakrishnan.
We're also super cognizant of the role that the seniors play in our community. So you know, trying our best to preserve their autonomy and making sure that they're always feeling comfortable at all of our events.
Ridhi Gopalakrishnan, Co-President
GlamourGals McMaster
The volunteers often experience personal growth as they interact with seniors. “People [volunteers] who might be a little bit more shy at the beginning often have one senior that they really connect with. And then every makeover, they end up sitting and talking with this one individual, ” said Gopalakrishnan.
Cavalier recalled a specific instance when she connected with a senior. They shared they were a labour and delivery nurse when Cavalier disclosed her interest in women's health. “She started giving me all these random tips for that field I was like, “oh, thank you.” It was so cute,” said Cavalier.
Singh mentioned that the volunteers ask the seniors how they define beauty and she noted that their answers changed overtime. “Also really inspiring to see that they've kind of come to realize that beauty is not just on the outside. And even when you get your nails done, it's about that sense of confidence and that self-esteem,” said Singh. The club documents these discussions in their oral history series.
Also really inspiring to see that they've kind of come to realize that beauty is not just on the outside. And even when you get your nails done, it's about that sense of confidence and that self-esteem.
Anjali Singh, Co-President
GlamourGals McMaster
Through the monthly events, the volunteers have witnessed profound changes in the seniors' self-perception. Gopalakrishnan noted that at the start of the year, many seniors were hesitant to have their photos taken, often due to ageist attitudes.
“But that's something I've personally seen evolve over the year, where, as they see the same volunteers again and again, they see their peers getting their nails done and posing for pictures [and] they're more inclined to as well,” said Gopalakrishnan.
The joy the seniors express during these sessions reinforces the value of the initiative. “That's some feedback we've gotten from the staff time and time again . . . Our makeovers are a very highly anticipated social event, they put us on the calendar and then when we walk in, most of the time, the seniors are already there waiting for us. They know what colours they want for their nails,” shared Gopalakrishnan.
“I think we really focus on intergenerational bonding. That's kind of where we shine. I think that's a really integral part of being a part of GlamourGals,” said Singh.
To stay updated on their inspiring journey and see the joy they bring to Hamilton's seniors, you can follow GlamourGals McMaster on Instagram.
By: Andrew Mrozowski
From a very young age, Annette Paiement felt connected to the land she played on. It was this connection that would eventually lead her on a road to Hamilton, then on a solo drive to Northern Winnipeg and back home to share her experiences through the Where the Soul is Never Frozen exhibit.
“As a kid, I would leave the house first thing in the morning and wouldn’t come home until dusk… I loved to play in the forest, but always had a really strong connection to the water,” said Paiement.
Paiement grew up just west of Toronto and while nature was her calling, she pursued a degree in sculpture installation at the Ontario College of Arts and Design. On the side, she would take pictures and use them to influence whatever medium she was working with at the time.
She later moved to Hamilton in the early 2000s and became very involved with the arts and culture scene that the city had to offer, so much so that she hung up her camera as she started to pursue other opportunities.
“When I came to Hamilton, I really needed to reconnect to an environment that could allow me access to greenspace and water. It was for my peace of mind. I felt as if my soul yearned to be here,” said Paiement.
Paiement also found serenity hundreds of kilometers away in Northern Winnipeg, a place she has been travelling to for nearly twenty years.
“Every time I go, it is always about healing and through that time, I’ve been welcomed into the communities [in Sagkeeng, First Nation] and gratefully so. I’ve been fortunate enough to be invited to participate in a number of different sacred ceremonies,” explained Paiement.
Following the passing of her mother and grandmother in 2016, Paiement went through a difficult time coming to terms with loss.
“At this particular time in my life, I helped to launch the Cotton Factory launch and didn’t take any time off. The Elders [in Sagkeeng, First Nation] invited me to [a climate change] summit, and I had just gotten my drivers license so I said I’d go. Without any intention of returning to Ontario I packed whatever I could fit into my Fiat and left,” explained Paiement.
Upon her arrival, she realized that the Elders cancelled the summit but invited her to stay with them.
While participating in various meetings and ceremonies with the Manitoba government and the Elders, Paiement would take time to drive around by herself in -50℃ weather. She would pick destinations and drove out to take pictures.
“There was just something about it that made me feel like I was suspended in this altered [reality]. The prairies are something so different. The expansion of the sky, the horizon and all of it flat and frozen? It’s something I can’t even express in words,” said Paiement.
It was only when the artist returned to Ontario that she decided to turn her photographs into an exhibit for all to experience. Where the Soul is Never Frozen is comprised of approximately ten photographs from Paiement’s journey.
“I see them more as a way to speak about a feeling or a land-based spiritual practice and an appreciation for nature,” explained Paiement.
Paiement utilized photography to capture, communicate and take viewers along with her on a healing journey through the frozen prairies. Each work of art has an energy that it gives off, easily transporting the viewer to Northern Winnipeg.
As Paiement’s art hangs on the Member’s Gallery walls of Centre[3] for Print and Media Arts, she hopes that it’s legacy has a lasting effect on Hamiltonians and encourages others to connect with the land around them.
“It is my hope that people will say ‘let’s try hiking this weekend’ and they will take out their cameras and fall in love with nature. Hopefully they will say ‘why don’t I do this all the time?’,” said Paiement.
Where the Soul is Never Frozen is on display at Centre[3] for Print and Media Arts at 173 James Street North until Feb. 2, 2019.
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