Citizens for Citizens: Bringing Seniors and Kids Together
The following stories come from Citizens for Citizens (CFC), the community action agency for the Fall River area. They appeared in CFC's e-zine, The Spire, which can be found at the agency's new Web site.
Children play host to seniors: "He's my buddy"
Little Ronnie Manchester poured some apple juice into Lorretta Sansouci's plastic cup.
At five, the boy enrolled in Citizens for Citizens Head Start Program at the Ocean Grove facility in Swansea, is fine tuning his dining manners much to the delight of the seniors who are regulars at the Social Day Care Program who meet regularly at The Bluffs.
Because the seniors host the children every week, it was the children's turn to invite their older friends to the center across the street.
The squeals of children filled with joy and energy was a cacophony for some but to the elders, it was more like a Brahms musical masterpiece.
Lucy Cambra, who is 84, joked that she could put in ear plugs if the volume was too loud and as the sound level went up her smile grew wider. "I love to hear the children having fun. It makes me feel young again."
Tony Mello is approaching his 90th birthday but he looks much younger. His little friend, Desiree Bence, cozied up to him and posed for the cameras as the Herald News photographer, Jack Foley, captured the two on film.
Desiree was asked: "What do you call your friend? Do you call him Uncle Tony, Mr. Tony or Mr Mello?"
Desiree, wearing a broad smile, and fiddling with the beads on her weave, said, "I call him Tony. He's my buddy."
Mr. Mello let out a belly laugh.
"I like his hair," she added.
The older friend who has little hair thought the comment was wonderful.
Mr. Mello stated: "We walk and exercise with the kids once a week at the Bluffs. It is terrific to have them around. They make you feel happy and glad to be alive. I had a heart attack three years ago and these kids have been the best medicine I could ever have."
The program of weekly visits by the children to The Bluffs and the matching of youngsters with an adult was the brainchild of Shirley Puccio of the Social Day Care Program.
She said, "I saw the kids walking along the beach and I thought why not bring them into The Bluffs and let them get to know older people. They walk together, exercise together and just talk and everyone is better for the experience."
Ms. Puccio said that the children love the vast area of The Bluffs where they can be free to work off all their youthful energy and our seniors get a real thrill out of watching their little friends enjoy themselves.
Linda Paliarini, Head Start teacher, presented the Social Day Care Program with a large poster containing colorful hand prints of the children and the seniors. Written on the poster were the words, "Our hands to your hands, love Ocean Grove Head Start."
CFC Program Brings Children, Hanover House Residents Together
Note from The Spire's editor: The interaction between the children who are enrolled in CFC's After School Day Care Program and their "adopted grandparents" is nothing short of inspirational. The events that follow depict one day in the lives of the very young and the elderly residents of Hanover House. Please read on.
Minnie Silvia, in her 70s, gazed out the window of the yellow school bus that had taken her from Hanover House to the Citizens for Citizens facility on Robeson Street. She looked out on a group of children and spotted Shane Cardoza, a 10-year-old enrolled in the CFC After School Day Care program.
Childless and widowed for nearly 40 years, Minnie considers Shane the son she never had and the child she has been seeking all of her adult life. As she stepped off the bus with several other Hanover House residents, Shane ran across the grassy yard with his arms outstretched. The two embraced in a powerful exchange of emotions and only a few words.
The children, under the guidance of Monica Medeiros, ASDC group leader, were eager to meet their "Adopted Grandparents." The program which began in March has had remarkable results, Medeiros said.
The group leader said as a result of their experiences in the program, children are losing their shyness, relating to elders in a kind and loving way, and the "adopted grandparents" have been delighted by the visits made by the youngsters.
The children, mostly in grades two to four but with some just entering fifth, brought their lunches and the residents from Hanover had their own food. The children spread their sandwiches on metal tables, pulling up chairs and sitting along side their "adopted grandparents."
Small talk followed with meaningful results.
Sitting in blue plastic chairs and in the shade of towering maples, the two different generations bridged the many years that separated the aged Hanover House residents and the children who served as their hosts on this special late summer day. Minnie revealed: "I always wanted a boy so bad so when I saw Shane come into Hanover House I said 'I want him!'"
Shane, who is about to enter the fifth grade, is one of three boys and 12 girls who have adopted a grandparent. The bright, articulate youngster said he is happy that Minnie chose him and looks forward to their regular meetings that take place twice a month. Some of his friends don't understand why he would spend time with an elderly person who is not a blood relative "but others think it is really cool."
For Minnie Silvia and her fellow residents at Hanover House, the sharing of time and even occasionally giving gifts with children are special moments in her life. "I don't have nobody," the retired factory worker said as she held Shane's hand. "He's all I have," she said, "and he makes me so happy. I love him so much."
Shane responded: "I only started doing this a few months ago and I love my adopted grandma. She seems so happy when I visit her. She is like my real grandma. I never thought I could make anyone this happy."
Minnie smiled at Shane and said: "This little boy makes all the difference in my life. He gives me a reason to look forward to another day. He is so smart, so kind…I have waited all my life for a little boy and here he is."
Shane said of his "grandma," "She is fun to be around. It is exciting to hear about what it was like when she was a young girl."
Sandra Furtado, 8, remained close to the side of her adopted grandmother, Ethel Dwyer, 75, a retired cosmetologist. The Hanover House resident is comforted by the presence of the girl who displays respect and compassion toward the woman she calls "grandma."
Ethel is still trying to cope with the death of her husband.
She, like Minnie Silvia, was childless "until these great kids came into my life." Ethel smiled and said, "It is very touching to be with these beautiful children, they make me feel so good. I am so happy to be here."
The Porstmouth, R.I., native said she eagerly awaits the visits of her "adopted grandchild." She said that when she is with Sandra, she forgets about her health problems and recalls the feeling of being young and carefree once again. Sandra said Ethel is lots of fun and enjoys playing games with her and the other kids. "She cares about what we are doing, how we are doing in school and at home. I like it when she hugs me and I like to hug her."
The world of nursing home residents is something that was strange to the children at first, nine-year-old Jennifer O'Grady said.
"I was nervous when I first went to visit the adopted grandparents. I thought it was weird but after a while it wasn't so bad. I love making my adoptive grandparent smile and be happy. It makes me feel good that I can do something for someone else."
Josilyn Ferreira, 8, finds that adopting a grandparent has been a great experience for her. "My adoptive grandmother is happy to be around children and she likes to know what I am doing.
She plays games with me and we talk about things like what my day is like." Jennifer said she enjoys seeing her adopted grandmother, Ethel smile and be happy when they meet.
The three girls threw their arms around Ethel Dwyer and all smile as their photos were taken.
As the afternoon raced by, children became involved in action games, running and jumping, and totally delighting their adopted grandparents. The sound of the children's gleeful laughter and shouting spilled out onto Maple Street on a glorious September afternoon. Then it was time for the "adoptive parents" to head back home. There were hugs and kisses and promises of getting together "real soon."
RSVP Volunteers Join Early Head Start Team
IT was just days before the official opening of the center and painters were busy brightening up the interior of the building which has been brought up to speed to accommodate 40 infants and children, their siblings as well as their parents. The children and parents have begun visiting the facility on a designated day each week, according to the Head Start assistant director.
Pam, who is the assistant director of CFC Head Start, was frantically juggling dozens of important matters just prior to the start of the program, when she took time out to give the two RSVP volunteers a personal tour of the facility.
Jackie Medeiros and Helen Souza have spent years volunteering their time and skills to the community. Both are grandmothers who live alone and both agree that having something important to do keeps them young at heart. Pam pointed out to the seniors just where the youngsters will play, rest and eat and where the parents will meet to discuss matters essential to raising happy, healthy children.
Pam Wildnauer took Jackie Medeiros and Helen Souza on a tour of the Early Head Start facility at the Peggy O'Brien Sullivan Center on Second Street.
The volunteers were impressed with the environs and expressed their eagerness to get started.
Bill Leary, Citizens for Citizens' RSVP director, said that the two volunteers will serve the center through and agreement between his program and VISTA. Their jobs, he said, will be to read to the infants and to offer youngsters one-on-one personal attention.
Leary said there are studies that show reading to infants has had remarkable results with children wanting to read at an earlier age. The CFC RSVP director explained, "Using the volunteers to read is in line with the Born to Read Project that was started in Maine and has had dramatic results."
One of the volunteers will go on to Head Start in the fall.
Helen Souza has given her a considerable amount of time and talent to Charlton Memorial Hospital, working as a liaison for patients and visitors. Working with children is something she says is very close to her heart and reading to youngsters is something she especially enjoys.
"I'm not looking forward to a summer with nothing to do, that's boring," the RSVP volunteer stated. "I can't wait to begin working with the children," she added.
Jackie Medeiros echoed her colleagues sentiments. She said staying involved and being able to work in the community is important to senior citizens and urged others to give their time and talents to help others.
Retired as a financial administrator at Newport Naval Base, Ms. Medeiros works at a senior citizens center in the North End of Fall River. She said, "Whether their young or old, it doesn't matter to me, if I can be of help I will be glad to do whatever I can."
These stories appeared in The Spire, CFC's e-zine, in 2000, and were placed with permission from CFC on MASSCAP's Web site in Fall, 2000.
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