Houston Jazz musician Ron Davis spreads the love with his music.
Photo by Teresa Kendrick
Kathleen Morgan, right, who sponsored the event, is shown putting a finished bracelet on A Deer Creek resident.
Photo by Teresa Kendrick
volunteers and staff break into spontaneous dance during the Social.
Photo by Teresa Kendrick
A Deer Creek resident stays to the party’s end to listen to the music and talk with Activity Director Brittany Comeans, right.
Photo by Teresa Kendrick
Valentine treats bring smiles.
Photo by Teresa Kendrick
Celebrating love in its many forms, between friends, sweethearts, family, pets and fellow travelers in life, set the stage for a Valentine Social held at Deer Creek last week.
Houston resident Kathleen Morgan, prompted by Wimberley’s Trudy Spring-Allison, sponsored an afternoon of jewelry making, music, and connection by bringing the talents of Sonia Davis and jazz musician Ron Davis, also of Houston, to celebrate the day of love.
“I love giving back to the community, whether it happens to be mine or not,” said Morgan.
Residents made bracelets, sipped sparkling cider, and ate sweet treats while listening to the smooth jazz of Ron Davis. Volunteers and staff passed around bead trays to more than 29 men and women who gathered in the dining room for the party. Each person selected beads of different colors and shapes and lined them up on the trays. Once the beads and colors were in place, Sonia strung each bracelet and volunteers returned them to their designers. The creative project seemed to agree with participants as they exchanged ideas with each other, reworked their designs and leaned into the music between forkfuls of cake and fruit.
Sonia is no stranger to teaching others to make jewelry. With more than 30 years of experience in jewelry design and instruction, she is the founder and creative force behind The Jewelry Instructor Inc., a studio in Houston’s Arts District. She also founded the nonprofit Never Starving Artists, which provides resources and platforms for artists, musicians and other creative entrepreneurs to share their talents with underserved communities. Her programs bring jewelry making and live music to senior centers, schools and community spaces.
Ron is an integral part of the Never Starving Artists nonprofit. The long-time professional musician is a second-time member of Houston’s Mambo Jazz Kings. His affinity as a young person for piano and trumpet led him to study with Conrad O. Johnson at Kashmere High School in Houston. A saxophonist, clarinetist and educator, Johnson led the Kashmere High School Stage Band to win numerous national awards in the 1970s for fusing funk, soul and jazz music. In addition to playing with the Mambo Jazz Kings, Ron performs with several other groups in Houston.
As the Valentine Social wound down, volunteers broke out in spontaneous dance to the music, cheered on by the applause of residents and staff.
