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Olivia Richmond (left) and Emma Allen admire the three-dimensional snowflakes they created to give to local elder home residents. (D. Lobkowicz photo) |
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By Dominik Lobkowicz
With handmade gifts and holiday treats, middle level students at Jefferson Village School have been reaching out to elders in residential care facilities around the county.
The school has an advisor program where mixed groups of students from grades 5 to 8 meet on Friday afternoons, and in those periods the students have worked on making gifts for the elders, according to Kathy Peabody, the school librarian.
Gifts included Halloween treat boxes in October (precautions were taken to make sure diabetic residents had sugar-free candy), laminated reusable place mats at Thanksgiving, ornaments at Christmas, and three-dimensional snowflake decorations in January, Peabody said.
“It’s a way to connect the community to the kids and the school, especially the older folks who may not get to the school,” she said.
“It’s a wonderful thing, children and elders,” said Gayle Webber, the assistant administrator for Hodgdon Green, an elder care residence in Damariscotta. “It’s a match made in heaven; they get so much from each other.”
Peabody delivers the gifts to Hodgdon Green, Jefferson Green in Jefferson, and Country Manor Nursing Home in Whitefield, since there are no funds in the budget to bus the kids over to deliver the gifts themselves.
There have been discussions about how to get the kids and the residents together, and Peabody said she is trying to figure out how to connect them.
Gertrude Allen, a resident at Hodgdon Green in Damariscotta, said she likes receiving gifts from the students, and the benefits from such a program go both ways.
“I think the young children should know the older people and that they’re not all handicapped and can’t do anything,” she said. “Our group is very active.”
Bea Locke, another Hodgdon Green resident, said, “Kids that age don’t usually think of the elderly and they took the time and love to think of us … and I appreciated it. I’m sure everybody did.”
Allen said she would enjoy meeting the students, and suggested that some residents might be able to take a van over to the school to meet them.
“They could show us what they do in their school,” she said.
Webber agreed connecting the kids and the elder residents would be positive.
“So often, people want to give to us, but as a general rule, elders want to help others,” she said, adding that an exchange between the elders and children can make a huge difference.
“It gives the elders a warm feeling to continue to contribute to society,” she said.
Students at the school said they feel good about giving the residents something to look forward to, and the students showed visible enthusiasm as they worked together making snowflakes on Jan. 10.
“I think it’s really nice they get something nice to hang in their room,” said Madison Geboskie.
Olivia Richmond and Emma Allen both said it feels good to give the elders something to look forward to.
“They’re happy, they love the gifts,” Peabody said of the elders. “They’re very excited about it.”
