Lowell — Fifth-grader Nate Feasal tapped on the door of Juanita Hunt’s apartment, and Hunt peeked out to find him with a bag of treats and goodies meant just for her.
“It’s pretty amazing those kids are doing something for us,” she said after receiving holiday well wishes from Nate and his fellow Alto Elementary students.
Three classrooms of fifth-graders went door to door on a recent Wednesday morning at Schneider Manor, an independent living community for residents ages 62 and older, passing out cards and treats and meeting those they have corresponded with over the past month as pen pals.
After making their deliveries, they performed a holiday choral concert in the manor’s community center.
“We came to give people some cheer,” said Becca Demchok. “I think they feel happy because they might not get a lot of people to visit them, like their grandchildren. It’s just a really good experience to see how happy they can be.”
‘Every Monday and Wednesday morning when the mail came, the students were on the edge of their seats to see who got letters in the mail.’
— teacher Daniel Wright
The relationship began about a month ago when students sent cards to individual residents for Thanksgiving, requesting a letter in response. The visit was a chance to meet their pen pals face to face.
Teacher Daniel Wright said Alto fifth-graders have been connecting with Schneider residents over the holidays for many years. Students were eager to see if they got responses to their Thanksgiving cards, and many of them did.
“Every Monday and Wednesday morning when the mail came, the students were on the edge of their seats to see who got letters in the mail. This year we got more responses than any other year we’ve had,” Wright said.
Resident Doris Rhine received her goody bag filled with candies and a card from fifth-grader Aniston Wieland. “I’m excited,” she said. “It’s so nice of them to get up and do it.”
Aniston had introduced herself to Rhine in a card, sharing details about herself. “This is the first time we are meeting. I was a little bit nervous, but it’s really fun. … They can have a little joy.”’
Resident Sharon VanderWarf met her pen pal, Kvothe Reed.
“I asked him if he got my card,” she said, as she waited to hear the students perform. “It’s really nice because it gets you in the spirit of Christmas, and it’s fun to be around kids when you don’t have smaller children around. That’s really nice and I look forward to it.”
Wright said students practice public speaking skills by introducing themselves to the seniors and get to know someone new from an older generation.
“It’s a chance for us to spread cheer and give back in a low-cost but high-benefit way.”
Schneider Manor Manager Terra Bieneman said Alto’s long-standing relationship with the manor is a great example of intergenerational connections.
“(The residents) don’t see youth very often anymore,” Bieneman said. “For a lot of them, their grandkids are grown.”
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