YES alumni in the West Bank are always looking for ways to volunteer and improve their communities. Last month, ten YES alumni visited Beit Al-Ajdad, a nursing home in Jericho that has been supporting and providing shelter for senior citizens since 1955. 

The alumni planned a day full of activities with the residents. They started with introductions and received a warm welcome. Afterwards, the alumni conducted an ice breaking activity using a parachute. This helped them get to know each other better, and fulfilled the main goal - physical exercise to improve health and well being. 

After the physical exercises, it was time to start the mental exercises, including an organized trivia game. The trivia included cultural, historical, and general questions to help the seniors remember remarkable moments in their own lives.

The fun did not stop there! The YES alumni then danced and recited poetry alongside the amazing residents. To wrap up this unforgettable day, the alumni went to Beit Al-Ajdad's garden alongside residents and staff, to pick lemons from the garden. Within an hour, they had collected eight boxes filled with lemons to be used at the institution's kitchen. 

The director of Beit Al-Ajdad, Mohammed Bsharat, remarked, “We at Beit Al-Ajdad provide the residents with all their basic needs, but what they need most is a break from their daily routine with the company of young people like yourselves so they can smile and laugh."