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Recently I concluded the 'Security At Hargrave' blog series with one final interview from the final member of the security team. It was a privilege to listen to so many diverse stories and life experiences from the staff, and I found it completely necessary to investigate and report on them if I was indeed to uncover a much more hidden yet important side to Project FIND. You'll find each person's story below, enjoy!
Qigong with Ken
Following on from the two previous entries about the security staff at Hargrave House, allow me to introduce yet another intriguing member of the same team. Indeed, few...
To conclude the series of posts surrounding the individual members of the security staff at Hargrave House, let me finish by introducing one final member of the team....
FIND’s “Food for Thought: Farm to Table” project had guest up for a harvest of its Hydroponic Farm on the roof top of the Hargrave House right next to the Project FIND senior center’s on West 71st Street.
As a continuation of last week's theme on the various poets of Project FIND, here I present another composition by an additional senior involved with the organisation. William 'Bill' Orance, originally a native of Chicago has lived in New York since the late 1960s and has been writing poetry for some time. Whilst interviewing him at the Clinton senior center he was kind enough to share with me several of his writings and allow me to use this particular poem for the purposes of the blog and website. From reading his numerous pieces I found that Bill bases them around a wide number of topics and themes, the one shown below titled 'Art Is Not Love' in his own words is an attack on plagiarism and an advice poem. He explained to me that sometimes the world doesn't appreciate the talents that others bring to it, and will in fact often take such talents from those who were gracious enough to divulge them in the first place out of pure selfishness. A thought-provoking piece indeed, enjoy!
Project FIND has a large number of individuals working and living within it, many come from interesting backgrounds and have intriguing tales to disclose. Following on...
One of the most popular trends that I've noticed around each of the Project FIND centers is poetry. Indeed, not only are the residents enthusiastic about reading poetry, but are also passionate about writing it! Regular classes and workshops are held at the various centers which not only increase people's awareness of poetry as an art, but also encourage and instruct those that attend on how to write their own pieces! In the last few weeks I've met several keen poets who are enthusiastic about sharing their works with a wider audience. One such resident poet, who was kind enough to divulge some of his own works with me is John Di Santa of the Woodstock center. A native New Yorker, he has been at the center since 2003 and has written multiple poems in the last few years. After sharing several with me I found one to be my outright favorite. The piece below is a short tribute to his late father Ralph which he calls 'My Dad.' John spoke a lot about his Father and the impact that he had on his life and personal development. Indeed, he explained to me how his Father had worked hard and paid many extra expenses to that John could have a the best education possible. John therefore attributes any academic achievement in his life to his Father's commitment and perseverance as displayed in the poem below. Enjoy!
One habit that I've picked up since living at Hargrave House is an inability to not leave the building without first passing the security desk and striking up a conversation with the various members of the security team. Indeed, once or twice this has caused me to lose track of time and end up running late to wherever I may be destined! Yet, despite this it's a habit that I refuse to break as not only are the security team at Hargrave comprised of some of the most pleasant and supportive individuals that I've met since coming to New York, but they are also full of experience and have a lineup of interesting backgrounds that I am always keen to hear about.
After a few weeks of living at Hargrave House I had occasionally heard people speak about the famous rooftop garden,but as of Wednesday morning I had never actually experienced it for myself. That changed when I decided to emerge a little earlier in the morning and make my way to the top of the building to spectate at Project FIND's gardening class which regularly takes place there. The garden itself was impressive, and absolutely perfect for the class due to it's tranquility and solitude. The class itself was an interesting event, those who attend take great pride and care in what they do. Without a doubt, there is no absence of passion among the gardeners of Hargrave House, and unquestionably no absence of skill!