The lives and experiences of our elders often get overlooked in the media age, and the technology gap between elders and youth often parallel gaps in intergenerational communication.

Satellite Housing did something about that gap with a series of stories posted recently on OurOakland.org, featuring resident seniors at Adel Court in East Oakland. Satellite Housing, a non-profit housing organization that provides affordable, service-enriched housing for people with limited options, is a featured partner of Our Oakland: Eastside Stories, a community-building public art project with a web portal for community stories about East Oakland.

The Satellite stories are part of an intergenerational project that paired high school students with seniors at two Satellite Housing sites: Helios Corner in Berkeley and Adel Court in East Oakland. The youth conducted interviews and wrote touching chronicles of the seniors’ lives that reflect with the rich diversity of the Bay Area. “Mitsuyo’s Story” tells of a family history that goes back to a sword-maker grandfather in the Tokugawa Shogunate in Japan, while “Lena’s Story” brings us memories of “family dinners of ‘yummy corn, buttery lima beans,’ peach cobbler, and bread pudding…‘just like bubble gum’.”

The intergenerational story-sharing project was developed by Satellite Community Activities Coordinator Asha Beene-Clarke. In addition to stories that affirm the importance of elders in our communities, the project also resulted in deep bonds between the intergenerational participants.

“This is a perfect dovetailing of visions and goals between Asha’s intergenerational storytelling project and Our Oakland’s core concept of using stories to create a rippling effect of new linkages,” said Our Oakland Artistic and Project Director Rene Yung, referring to Our Oakland’s iconic imagery of overlapping ripples.

Our Oakland talked to Asha recently to hear her story about the inspiring project:

Our Oakland: What was your inspiration behind this story sharing project?

Asha Beene-Clarke: This project is inspired by my late grandfather. He and I were very close. He was the best grandfather. And, it was at his funeral that I learned that he was a great man too. Everyone’s life is filled with experiences and richness that should be recognized and captured. This was the organic start for the project and from here it rolled into much, much more.

OO: Your grandfather created the seed idea for the initiative, what was your vision from that point?

ABC: The vision for this project was to develop an intergenerational project designed to capture the stories and life experiences of Satellite Housing residents living at two sites, Adel Court and Helios Corner. High school students would interview residents to capture their individual life story. This project would allow for a mutually beneficial partnership to take place between the youth and the residents. For the residents, they would have a meaningful experience that would allow them to impact the lives of youth in their community; have a positive, nurturing (grandparent like) relationship with the youth; share wisdom and knowledge with a younger generation; and, create positive change within their own neighborhood. For the youth, they would have a meaningful experience that would allow them to impact the lives of older adults in their community; build a positive relationship with one older adult – a relationship that may not already exist in their lives; improve academic skills such as note taking, writing, editing, etc.; and, create positive change within their own neighborhood or the neighborhood in which the residents live.

OO: When did you start this process, how long did it take?

ABC: I began working on this project over a year and half ago. Once I had the high school students and seniors identified and paired up, the actual story-sharing process took 3 weeks, from July 29th - August 20th, 2010. Each high school student put in approximately 35 hours of work on the project.

OO: What are your hopes for the project now that the stories are completed?

ABC: My hope is that the impact of the project will create a ripple of positive change in the lives of the participants, their residences, and the community. I want the stories and the voices of these seniors to be an example of how important individuals are in society, no matter what age you are. I would like the youth to walk away forever touched by the experience and to take a piece of what they learned with them as they continue to grow. I want youth to view seniors differently, not just as old people, but as individuals that have been dancers, teachers, leaders and mothers, etc.

OO: How does sharing these stories online through Our Oakland fit with your vision for the project?

ABC: Our Oakland serves as a great vehicle for this project. The vision of my project works synonymously with the themes of the site. These stories provide clear examples of the importance of highlighting the lives of everyone in our community, specifically our seniors who hold so much of our history, our culture, and sense of community.

OO: How do you feel about the project results?

ABC: In the aftermath, I am so pleased with the results of this project; it exceeded my goals. And, the impact of this project on the youth and the residents cannot be measured. It can be summed up by a quote from one of the participating residents, Odessa Shavers:  “This is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I’ve been able to focus on me and my memories of my life. Thank you for helping me remember me.”

“The Satellite stories not only give voice to the seniors’ treasured memories,” observed Yung, “but they also remind us how an overlooked sector like affordable housing is more than about a roof over the head, it is rich with life experiences and relationships.” She sees the Satellite project as a model for community partnerships that build on Our Oakland’s platform to develop their own community of stories and relationships, and share them with the broad community on the website.

Our Oakland invites community organizations serving East Oakland to become featured partners on OurOakland.org and share their stories as well as their constituents’.

Read the Satellite stories on Our Oakland:
Tina’s Story

Mitsuyo’s Story

Lena's Story

Odessa's Story

Hiroshi's Story