On Saturday, February 13th, A Time to Help met at the Waterford Senior Center in Waterford, MI for their monthly volunteer project. TTH volunteers joined students from the Haviland Elementary School and senior center members to pack and assemble more than 500 emergency meals for homebound seniors. The project insured that Meals on Wheels clients have food on their shelves in preparedness for power outages or any weather related emergencies that make delivery impossible. In the spirit of the holiday, volunteers also made Valentine cards, boxed muffins and decorated cupcakes to give the recipients as an extra treat. The Valentines and cupcakes were shared with the Waterford Senior Center’s Encore Adult Day Service, which provides respite care to older adults with memory impairments and/or physical disabilities.
Here, students from Haviland Elementary share their moving reflections about sharing that day with the senior center members, and about learning the value in giving back to their community. Click here to read a message from the teachers of Haviland Elementary.
Way to go Haviland!
experience from the Waterford Senior Citizen Center stated off with I entered the building. I began making Valentines cards for the seniors. After I was finish I went to the center that packed emergency food packs for the Meals on Wheels. We packed cards, fruit, crackers, macaroni and other food so that if there were a power failure or snow day, the seniors would have food. Next they gather all the kids to come and sit in front of the stage so that we could meet Mitch Albom. Mitch talked to us about how important it is give back and how he was helping in Haiti. It made me feel good to know that I was helping someone by making a card and packing food. I helped so that they could feel love and happiness.
Reanna Campbell | 5th grade
What I Experienced During “A Time To Help”
“A Time to Help” was a great idea to help senior citizens. What I experienced is that it’s nice to help people in need of things. Especially for a day like Valentine’s Day, because it’s when you show love to one another. It felt good to help. I have never felt the way I did when I was making valentines, goodie bags and cupcakes. I felt so good. When Mitch Albom was talking to us about how it was in Haiti, I knew I was doing the right thing to help someone in Michigan. It was not only fun to do all those things but it was helpful. What I liked about it the most is that I got to help a certain group of people. I have enjoyed helping people in the past, but I think this was the most helpful project of all. And that is what I experienced during “A Time to Help.”
Kamila Mendela | 5th Grade
Senior Citizen Center
My experience from the center started of when I entered the building and got a shirt saying Mitch Albom. Then we sat down before doing anything. Mitch Albom started speaking about his experience in Haiti. Then we learned a few things about him. First of all we learned that he was an author, he wrote “Tuesday’s With Morrie” and second of all he loved to help people.
When he was done, we started. First of all I went to the Valentine Card Section. We were suppose to make two cards. Mine were beautiful. Then I went to go make cupcakes, they were little snowmen. Mine had a hat. After, we went to the Bag Section. We were suppose to put food in a bag. Last of all we made Valentine Bags. Mine had the words LOVE on it. We didn’t get to boxing in the muffins but we helped alot!
We had a very good afternoon.
By Jessica Freile
On Saturday February 13th 2010, I was very fortunate to have the experience of being able to help the senior citizens of Waterford!
My teacher Mrs.Young helped to organize a special Valentine’s Day event along with the help of Mr. Mitch Albom (he is a famous author). Our principal, Miss Novotny, other teachers and students with their families from our 4th grade class and classes from Haviland Elementary all gathered together to help pack up emergency meals for the seniors at the Waterford Senior Center. Mr. Mitch Albom had just returned from helping children in Haiti and spoke to us all about helping people and how good it makes you feel and how loved the people that you help feel.
We all had fun icing cupcakes, decorating Valentines cards and goodie bags for the homebound seniors. The emergency meals (crackers & canned fruit) plus everything else were all to be delivered by the nice “Meals on Wheels” volunteers. We got to follow one of the nice drivers and help out with the deliveries.
The best part of it all was when we helped to deliver our emergency meals and the handmade goodie bags (filled with special treats) to the seniors. They were so happy to see us and soooo nice to us. A lot of them have no families and nobody visits them. They enjoyed our company as much as we enjoyed theirs. I really liked helping the seniors out. It made me feel good and I could tell they loved talking to us and enjoyed our company. We are planning to visit again and we will bring them some books and some puzzles and probably some chocolate too, because they really like that…me too!
Gracelynn Boylan– Age 9
“A Time to Help”
When I helped on February 13, I felt like little men were bouncing around in my stomach when my mom and I arrived. I was so excited to help other people. I felt like I wanted to be there forever because I love to help people and I don’t expect anything in return. It was the best experience I’ve ever had because it was fun and I was helping people. I would love to experience this great feeling again. I plan on helping more in the future.
Alana Pawlowski
4th grade
“A Time to Help”
Working at the Senior Center made us feel good. We enjoyed listening to Mitch Albom’s speech about Haiti and how important it is to help others. We felt good making the emergency bags for the seniors who couldn’t get out of their houses. We hope that they liked the decorated valentine’s cards and goodie bags we made for them, and that it brightens up their day. We would like to volunteer again in the future.
Bradley Ladd and Tristan Delbridge
5th Grade
“A Time to Help”
On February 13th we went to the Waterford Senior Center to work with “A Time to help”. When we got there we started making emergency meals for people who don’t have families or who can’t drive cars to get there food. We also made Valentines and wrote special messages in them for the seniors. We were asked if we would help with the delivery of the meals and we said yes. We followed our driver to a few houses and also went to a senior living home to make our deliveries. The people we delivered to were really nice, and were grateful and excited to see us. We felt really good helping them. Almost everyone invited us into heir homes to visit for a minute. One nice Senior took our picture and gave us each a copy. There were some seniors who were sad when we arrived, but were happy by the time we left. We had an awesome time and want to do it again.
Justine Lawson, Brittney Lindner and Colin Lawson
4th and 5th grade
One Day at the Senior Center
The day I went to the senior center Mitch Albom was there. When I was at the senior center I made emergency bags, cupcakes, and goodie bags. The most important station was the emergency bags because if Meals on Wheels can’t deliver their food to them then they have extra food. If the weather is bad they can’t deliver the food and that would leave the seniors very hungry. In the emergency bags there was beans, applesauce, fruit, chicken and tuna. The valentines going to the seniors had messages and went in the goodies bags. My experiences helping the seniors felt good to help an elderly person. When I am old I know that people will help me and take care of me. I’m very happy I helped a senior because they will be very happy too. At the end I felt very good because I helped and made a difference.
Travis Kinaya- Age 9
A Time to Help!
When I arrived at the senior center I really didn’t know what to expect, since it was my first time volunteering. When I was there I felt special, because I knew what I was doing was very important. To be able to put a smile on someone else’s face means the world to me. I loved volunteering it was so much fun, but most of all it just felt good to help.
Brooke Klimek- Age 10
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