The Best Gifts Come in Small Packages for Booth Manor Residents
May 24, 2010 by Deborah · Comments Off
Major Margaret Hill thanks students from White Lick Elementary School for their service to the seniors at Booth Manor.
The life of a senior citizen can be filled with mundane routines and loneliness. In an effort to change that, third and fourth grade students from White Lick Elementary School blessed the residents of The Salvation Army’s low income senior housing as part of their Service Learning Project. It was just another fine example of the character of these elementary school students who have selflessly responded to an awareness of needs in their community.
Led by fourth grade teacher Emily Steffen, this was the second project carried out by these students for The Salvation Army . Earlier in the year, these same students were so moved by the reality of homelessness for the women and children at our shelter, that they coordinated making and delivering blankets and care packages to the shelter.
On this sunny day at Booth Manor, home to 75 seniors, curious residents greeted the group of energetic youngsters as they arrived with teachers and parents. The students came ready to unload and deliver care boxes filled with food, toiletries and handmade scarves. After making sure every resident on all three floors received a gift, the students assembled for a talent show in the dining hall. Amidst juggling plastic discs and a hip-hop dance routine, the seniors were visibly moved by the students’ enthusiasm, clapping and smiling as the children performed.
Continuing in the mode of service, the children took on the roles of waitstaff, gathering drink and pizza orders from the seniors, sitting with some of them as they ate. Before returning to their classrooms, the children gathered around for a few rounds of Bingo with the seniors. As the students packed up for the ride back to their classrooms, one senior was heard saying, “Thank you for bringing these wonderful children here today! I wish they could be here everyday!”
Service Learning Projects are a great way to teach youth about the importance of giving back to their communities. To view the video of White Lick’s service project, click on the highlighted link to their school in this story. If you’d like information about how you can participate in such an experience, please contact our volunteer coordinator Elizabeth Wilhelm at (317)224-1010 or Julia Sipes at (317)224-1067
White Lick Elementary students help others
May 10, 2010 by admin · Comments Off
Students make care packages to be sent to residents at Booth Manor apartment complex.
Two by two, third and fourth grade students at White Lick Elementary in Brownsburg walked around teacher Julie Copeland’s class room filling their Salvation Army boxes with goodies. The students have been collecting these goodies, consisting of non-perishable food items and a few toiletries, to be added to the boxes and sent to those in need.
More than 60 students helped with the food drive to achieve their goal of 80 care packages, which they will distribute themselves to residents of Booth Manor May 20, 2010. Booth Manor is an affordable Salvation Army-based housing facility for low income seniors. Also on this day, the students plan on performing a small talent show for the seniors, having a pizza lunch with them and helping Booth Manor with a work project.
Third grade teacher Julie Copeland says that the student’s desire to serve others in this way sprung from a book discussion the class had back in December. The book discussed was Fly Away Home by Eve Bunting, which tells the story of a homeless boy and his father who live in an airport. Copeland said that the book discussion led the students to consider what they could do to help others.
Accompanying the care packages will be a teddy bear and a note to the recipients from the students. On the front of the note it tell readers that they are cared for and gives a quote from William Authur Ward that reads, “If you can imagine it, you can achieve it; if you can dream it, you can become it.”
