By Audrey Levine, Staff Writer
Although they had a model to follow while decorating door hangars at the Manville Senior Center on Monday, the tiny parts made for a few challenges.
”You used the wrong ears those are the feet,” center worker Brenda Omilian told Joseph Tomko, of Hillsborough, as he glued rabbit’s feet as the ears while making the craft in early celebration of Easter.
”But they look good,” Mr. Tomko, who attended the event with his wife, Helen, said, glancing at his work and shrugging.
Despite any confusion about what foam pieces should be used in the creation of the rabbit and Easter egg that decorated the hangars, for the seniors, the project was just a fun way to spend time with their friends for an afternoon.
In addition, once they had finished the door hangars which had a rabbit holding a flag with the words “Hop on in,” as well as carrots decorating the top the seniors had an opportunity to thread different beads, including one shaped like a rabbit, on a pin to wear later.
According to Joanne Pearson, director of the senior center, she tries to hold a different craft project each season, and usually about 10 people take part.
”I try to find something that’s not too complicated,” she said. “They’re happy that they do something, and that they’ve accomplished something.”
In the past, Ms. Pearson said, they have painted butterfly suncatchers, made beaded bracelets and decorated bear magnets for Halloween.
”We try to do some kind of craft every few months,” she said. “This is the first time we are doing Easter door hangars.”
Ms. Omilian said she used to spend time cutting out all the foam pieces herself for the projects, preparing what they would make to have it ready for the activity. Since then, however, she has found that Oriental Trading sells the arts project with all the materials ready, so they buy them instead.
No matter where the materials come from, many of the participants said they are just happy to have this time to socialize with friends and work on some art.
”We come here all the time so we don’t have to sit home and get bored,” said Evelyn Scrape, of Sidorske Street.
Ms. Tomko said she always hangs up the projects she makes during the sessions, then stores them in a specific drawer for the next year.
”It feels good to complete something and I will put it up,” she said. “But we come for all the fun we have together, and we come to socialize.”
As participants began to finish their work, Marge Iarkowski, of Somerville Avenue, began helping others around her, pitching in to assist with questions or gluing problems.
”I love doing this,” she said. “This is a social time for us. We are all like one big family and this brings everybody together.”

