OLD BRIDGE – A 16-year-old student at Old Bridge High School is trying to impact the lives of senior citizens.
Shape a Life was founded this year by Chetna Goel, with the non-profit’s primary goal of working with senior citizen nursing homes to provide vocal performances, volunteers from schools playing board games, and celebrating birthdays; as well as food distribution to homeless shelters.
“Chetna likes to spend time with her grandparents a lot. Due to her love for the elderly and the desire to spend more time with them and play with them, she mentioned a couple of times that she wants to celebrate her birthday in a senior nursing home and she expressed her desire to sing for them. We – Chetna’s parents Deepak and Neelam Goel – realized her passion and decided to form Shape A Life so that we can join hands with other volunteers and spread our love for our senior communities. That’s why we consider Chetna our inspiration,” her father Deepak said.
Chetna is currently taking vocal lessons at Studio to Stage Productions in Marlboro and songwriting classes at Lakehouse in Asbury Park. She has also worked in many American TV shows, commercials and movies as a background artist and in two student films as a lead actress. She also participated in two pageants.
Chetna organized her first musical event on Oct. 15 at the Old Bridge Rotary Senior Housing building on Ticetown Road. Mayor Owen Henry and Councilwomen Dr. Anita Greenberg Belli, Eleanor “Debbie” Walker and Mary Sohor attended the two-hour event in which students from Old Bridge High School played board games with the seniors. There was also a bingo game which was free to play, and the winner received $50, according to information provided by Deepak Goel.
There was also a musical performance by 15 musicians from Musicians & Friends’ Folk Jam Central.
“I want to continue with this program on a regular basis in different senior nursing homes,” Chetna said in a prepared statement. “I want many more people to know about our program and we request more and more volunteers to come forward and help our seniors who worked so hard to make America a great place for us to live and grow.”
Senior nursing homes and volunteers can email Chetna at [email protected].