Students deck Glacier Hills hallways with their energy, companionship

Sometimes, kindness is as simple as being present.

Twenty-two Anna’s Kindness volunteers brought two wonderful holiday gifts to the senior citizens living in the Glacier Hills nursing facility Wednesday night: their time and friendship.

For Glacier Hills residents who did not have families join them for their annual Christmas party Wednesday night, Anna’s Kindness volunteers from Forsythe Middle School stepped in and ‘adopted’ nearly a dozen seniors so they could enjoy a lively roaming holiday party in the hallways of the long-term care units.

For some residents, this meant having Anna’s Kindness companions push their wheelchairs or escort them to any (or all) of the four households which featured food and entertainment. For others, they found joy in simply sitting together quietly with a student volunteer, listening to the music, tapping toes, and clapping after each song.

If it sounds like an elaborate large-scale event, it was.

There was a Christmas choir on one floor, singing carols just down from the potato latkes.

A jazz trio on another floor, accompanied by soup.

In the great room, a pianist played as desserts were shared.

Lots to see, lots to eat, lots to hear … and thanks to Anna’s Kindness volunteers, every resident who wanted to join in the festivities was escorted by a volunteer for the evening. They traveled the hallways to each of the four households (Birch, Maple, Willow, and Hazel) to listen to the different musicians and taste the wide variety of food and drink. Think Epcot Center, but friendlier.

And then there was the photo booth, which drew the longest lines of the evening. Anna’s Kindness volunteers helped the residents put on festive accessories (reindeer ears, oversized colorful glasses, beads …) to wear into the photo booth. Dressing up in costume may have been a highlight for many of the students, who came away with wonderfully silly snapshots with their resident.

And if that wasn’t enough, some of the Forsythe girls brought Radio City Music Hall to the Life Enrichment Center, performing their own version of a Rockettes kick line, much to the delight of nearly a dozen residents watching.

But not everyone needed to travel to other households to have a great time. Some residents chose to remain on their own floor and enjoy the music and food in their household’s living room. It was probably where they were most comfortable, made even moreso thanks to the company of a middle schooler.

The simple presence of so many of our young volunteers brought a special holiday energy to Glacier Hills’ largest event of the year.

Thank you to Jamie, Dayna and the entire Glacier Hills staff who allowed our volunteers to be a part of their largest event of the year. And thanks to Kate, Colleen, and Leanne for helping co-host on behalf of Anna’s Kindness.

And thanks to the Anna’s Kindness student volunteers who brightened the holiday for so many seniors: Christopher Van Lent, Rylan Kahle, Heather Hale, Ryan Thomas-Palmer, Lydia Cocciolone, Chloe Hyatt, Daniel Rogers, Aurora Dillaway Brater, Maddie and Samantha Slade, Lucy Shafer, Savannah Allen, Aliya Alam, and all the parents who attended.

#randomactsofanna

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