The Perfect Gift : Orangewood Youngsters Bring Holiday Cheer to Elderly

Wearing green hats shaped like Christmas trees and bearing handmade holiday cards, 19 boys and girls from a home for abused and abandoned children brought their own Christmas party to a group of elderly residents Monday.

During their 90-minute morning visit, the children performed, hugged and delivered cards to the 15 residents of Buena Vista Guest Home, most in their 70s and 80s and some with Alzheimer’s disease.

“It makes (the holiday season) great. It takes kids to have Christmas,” said Audrey Adams, 79, while showing off a handmade Christmas card decorated by a girl named Sunnie.

After hearing the children sing “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” 86-year-old Helen Lees said: “It’s a treasure. It’s the best thing we could have had. They are just precious.”

The 5- to 8-year-olds from the Orangewood Children’s Home in Orange have all been removed from their parents’ care, and most are awaiting placement in foster homes. Instructional aide Peggy Evans said the field trip and others like it are important for the children.

“They live in a confined existence, (even) with all the love and care. It’s always good for them to go outside. I think something like this is more valuable than a trip to Disneyland or Knott’s Berry Farm,” she said.

Kindergarten teacher Leslie Kephart said it was “kind of like visiting their grandparents’ house.”

Kephardt, wearing a white, long-sleeved shirt, red skirt and small, red, tree-ornament earrings, helped lead the children in the “chicken dance,” which involved flapping their arms like a bird, wiggling and clapping. The children waved enthusiastically to the residents, who waved back.

Dort Cooley, who manages the Buena Vista home, said the visit was equally important for the elderly residents.

“All that hugging and touching is good. They really respond to that. They really respond to the kids when they wouldn’t respond to a lot of folks.” Eighty-two-year-old Mildred Brunworth, who received six handmade cards, said the visitors were “more fun than grown-ups. They’re priceless.”

After punch and cookies, the children sang their last song, “We Wish You a Merry Christmas,” and then left with gifts of candy.

Carol, 8, said she liked giving the Christmas cards best. Hers read, “I like you,” and had a drawing of herself. “They said it was pretty.”

Patty, 6, said her favorite part of the event was “eating the cookies, and (meeting) the old people. They smiled at me and I hugged one.”