"Oh What Fun!"

Saturday, December 21st 2024

By: Charlotte Hendrey

"This is amazing!", said Susan (right), while I helped her decorate her stocking. Today, the guests at Greenwood Assisted Living were in for a treat: A festive hour of Holiday fun! I brought in ornaments with that the guests to decorate with stickers. I also invited Kitty Walker, who works for L.I.T.A, to come, and she helped supply the stockings! We had many volunteers help out, and I guided them by leading the activity and telling them how they could help the guests.

This morning, I baked a batch of fresh chocolate chip cookies for the guests and the volunteers. I wanted them to have a little treat as they worked. When I offered the guests the cookies, their faces lit up with joy and they all eagerly accepted. Pat, (wearing yellow, with the red scarf in the middle picture), had seconds, and told me "You are a great baker!". I have found that if any of the guests don't want to engage, a cookie can change their minds!

The volunteers were very quick learners, and followed all that Hearts & Hands stands for. They engaged with the guests meaningfully. By spreading out and talking to guests individually, they were able to create connections that the guests will not forget! Most importantly, they helped spread holiday cheer to the assisted care home. Nobody should be lonely, especially during the holidays, so with the help of my volunteers, we sparked joy and magic in the hearts of the wonderful guests at Greenwood.

While we worked, I played Christmas music on the speaker I brought, and all the guests were very impressed with the light-up feature that the speaker had. Some were even humming to the music. We "hung our stockings with joy", and all the guests were able to finish their ornaments to put on the home's Christmas Tree.  By the time it was over, the guests were already asking me when I would come back! I told them I would come again next week, as I always do. The combination of happy volunteers, treats, music, and the Christmas crafts all left the guests with big smiles on their faces.