Kids Korps members enjoy special afternoon with seniors
On a recent Sunday afternoon while many kids in San Diego were relaxing at the beach on this beautiful June day, 40 Kids Korps youngsters and their parents made plans to bring smiles to a large group of seniors with Alzheimer’s.
Volunteers came together to give their time to these lonely seniors at Silverado Senior Living Community in Encinitas.
“This was something new for most of these kids,” said Robin Chappelow, Kids Korps program director. “In the beginning many were apprehensive and shy around the seniors with different levels of Alzheimer’s. But after some discussion and a little understanding of what the disease is and how to cope with it, our kids turned out to be great companions.”
The day began with interviews. Volunteers had a litany of questions to ask their new elderly friends. “How old are you?” and “Where did you grow up?” were the most popular questions. One 11 year-old boy was so excited that he had met a 97 year- old veteran who fought in World War 11.
Within no time, everyone was interacting and sharing stories. Groups broke out and games of roulette and “21” were being played. Lots of cheering was heard around the room as new friendships were budding.
After a couple of exciting games of poker, everyone headed into the dining room for ice cream sundaes. From ages 6 to 106, everyone wanted ice cream.
“The day was a lot of fun and different from what I usually do on Sundays. The residents were all very nice and you could tell they were happy to see young people because all day they only get to see people their age,” said 13 year-old Kele Siva.
Kids Korps would like to thank The Starbuck Foundation for their support for this wonderful project through the GIVE 12 Program. Through funding from Starbucks, Kids Korps has created a Teen Task Force committee, along with a selection of key Starbucks partners for the GIVE 12 Team. They have been instrumental in planning meetings, and determining the scope of these volunteer projects. This partnership was launched in May and will run through April 2013.
UPCOMING EVENTS
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WHEN: Sat. June 9 (9 a.m. – 12 p.m.)
WHERE: San Diego
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WHEN: Tues. Jun 12 (5:45- 8 p.m.)
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