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Adopt-a-Grandparent
Description: Through Adopt-a-Grandparent, students visit the elderly at Community Memorial Hospital. Students can either attend weekly planned events at the skilled nursing facility, such as bingo and manicure nights, or be paired up with a resident. Students do not have to be paired with a resident individually. However, if students would like to be paired with a senior, the student will schedule weekly hour-long meetings to talk or play games.
No transportation is needed as it is connected to the hospital, across the street from Colgate's campus.
Adopt-a-Grandparent hosts some great events, including a Halloween and Christmas party every year for the residents. In addition, the group promotes awareness of senior citizen issues and care through luncheons and other programming.
Seeing the joy and happiness of the members' faces when they have a visitor is a great feeling. They enjoy company and love Colgate students!
Community: Students work directly with seniors at the local Hamilton area hospital.
Volunteers say: "Working with the elderly has been a very eye-opening and enriching experience for me. I visit Jane, my 'grandparent' every week, helping her and the other residents to play bingo on Thursday afternoons. I've visited with several other residents there, including Council President Marlene, who I interviewed for my sociology paper. I’ve also sung songs and Christmas carols for the residents. While some of them don't always show it, simply being around the elderly brightens their day. It's great to see them happy with smiles on their faces."
Resources: Community Memorial Hospital website