On April 15, sophomores from Maryvale Preparatory School spent their annual day of service pampering seniors and helping to teach English at Catholic Charities programs.
Twenty students helped organize a Spa Day for the residents at Catholic Charities Senior Housing Programs at St. Joachim and DePaul Houses. About thirty seniors enjoyed manicures, hand massages, and shoulder massages while snacking on cookies, orange juice, and sparkling cider.
Lottie Jacobs, a resident at DePaul House was very grateful for the experience.
“It would be impossible to express the kind of atmosphere that filled the room when the young ladies from Maryvale favored us with their acts of beautification! At my table we discussed many issues, told jokes, recalled things of the past, while “improvements” were taking place. All of this led to an exceptionally pleasant afternoon. As we concluded, one could sense that while those students were willing to do for us, they knew that they had also pleased us in turn. We felt very grateful to them. It was quite an experience to hob-nob with some of the younger generation of young ladies.”
Maryellen McHenry, service coordinator for St. Joachim and DePaul Houses was thrilled with how much everyone, the students and seniors alike, enjoyed each other’s company. She says, “The day wasn’t really about manicures and massages and cookies—it was about storytelling, reminiscing, conversation, and laughter. And there was plenty of that!”
At the Esperanza Center, which provides Hispanic persons and other immigrants with health, legal and social services, the students volunteered in the English as a Second Language program.
“They spent two hours tutoring our students and helping them with the alphabet, pronunciation, reading, and vocabulary. It was a great pleasure to have the girls volunteer for both the staff and the clients! Their energy made classes much more interesting for the students. I am thankful they were able to come,” says Colleen Gormley, Project Serve volunteer at the Esperanza Center.
Of her time at the Esperanza Center, sophomore Flannery Carney said, “While I helped teach the hardworking students English, they taught me that helping others achieve their goals was an extremely rewarding experience. I would love to do it again in the near future!”