Hi Everyone! This is Mika Abe from NY de Volunteer.
Today, I want to share my experience from the Volunteer Seminar and the Yukata Try-On that was held at the Sakura Health Fair on 4/25.
* The 14th Sakura·Health·Fair was held from 4/9 to 5/8, hosted together by the Japanese American Association (JAA) and the Japanese Medical Support Network (JAMSNET), both in-person and online.
This time, we were lucky to have two instructors teach us the proper way to put on Yukata and also two different ways to tie the ribbon. Putting it on ourselves and on another person was definitely a challenge, but everyone helped each other and tried their best!
▼Contents
Volunteer Seminar
Instructions for the Yukata Try-On
Practice Time
After the Activities
<Volunteer Seminar>
We were able to share information about us, NYdV, and who we are and what we do to the participants through slideshows. Everyone including those that already have experiences volunteering with NYdV listen in well.
<Instructions for the Yukata Try-On>
The Yukata Try-On was followed by the Volunteer Seminar!
Let's learn how to put it on!
The waistband is complete! The ribbon is so cute~!
We also learned to tie the Kainokuchi (Clam's mouth) tie!
The instructor made it look so easy, but it was much harder than it looked. Everyone got together to take a closer look.
<Practice Time>
We got some hands-on practice after learning from the instructor.
We tried our best by reviewing video instructions or getting help from the instructors.
Towards the end, everyone was able to put on their Yukatas well.
<After the Activities>
Big thanks to the instructors, we had so much fun and learned a lot. In the midst of COVID-19 and the limitations placed on in-person activities, we were able to have this great opportunity to get together and spend valuable time.
We also received a lot of positive feedback from the participants.
"Thank you so much for such an enjoyable and valuable opportunity!"
"I realized putting on clothes on someone else is much different from putting it on myself, and it was a fun new experience."
"The in-person meeting and the Yukata try-on seemed very enjoyable, so I decided to participate. It was great seeing the cultural exchange being made with the students. Thank you for the opportunity."
"I was able to practice in a fun atmosphere. I hope what I learned today will help me sometime later down the road. Thank you so much for putting everything together."
It was great to see that everyone enjoyed their experiences, and our staff members are proud and happy. Also, we'd like to thank the two instructors who gave their time and effort.
NYdV also takes part in many different other activities. We're looking for volunteers through our mailing list, SNS, and also on our website, so if you're interested, please sign up. Our staff members are looking forward to meeting you guys!