| Children & Seniors |
Fifteen-year-old Daphne Beach thought about her grandmother while making holiday cards for homebound seniors last Friday night.
“I help my grandma, and she’s old. I really like to help old people. I feel bad for them,” she said as she colored in a smiling teddy bear holding a present on a pre-printed card.
Tuolumne County is home to thousands of isolated adults and senior citizens whose social interaction is limited — they rarely get visitors, holiday cards or Christmas presents. A few community groups and schools are trying to change that.
Earlier this week, Mark Twain Elementary School second-graders made crafts and cards for residents at Foothill Village Assisted Living in Angels Camp.
“We were trying to make them happy,” said Kent Knick, 7.
The seniors had huge smiles on their faces when the children presented the holiday cards to them.
“It feels really good,” said Weslie Norman, 7, about giving gifts to the seniors.
Last Friday night, a group of about 20 volunteers gathered at the Tuolumne County Senior Center to make 250 Thanksgiving and 250 Christmas cards for people who receive Meals on Wheels.
It was a project for youth enrolled in Mentoring Works and Friday Night Live, both run by the Amador-Tuolumne Community Action Agency.
Friday Night Live member Keith Avila, 15, of Soulsbyville, said he knows what it feels like to be away from loved ones and that it feels good to help someone feel better.
“I feel like I’m helping out,” he said.
“The folks who get the cards treasure them,” said Elena Linehan, Mentoring Works coordinator.
“Everybody needs a friend. We don’t know their names and they don’t know ours, but there’s that friendship that bridges the gap. We do care about them.”
09:00 AM - 12:00 PM
11/15/2015 |
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