Teenagers use day off to visit senior citizens

They also delivered food to
residents of Youngstown’s South and East sides.

By LINDA M. LINONIS

VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER

YOUNGSTOWN — A volunteer project in the city warmed the hearts of the young people who were giving and the senior citizens who were receiving.

Members of the Interdenominational Youth Coalition and Teen Action Group (TAG) might have spent the no-school Presidents Day hanging out Monday. Instead, they put in a couple of hours volunteering and meeting like-minded new friends who consider community service a priority.

As part of project Warm Your Heart, coalition members collected donations of soup, crackers and peanut butter in the past few weeks at their churches. All the donations were taken to St. John Episcopal Church, 323 Wick Ave., where the youth packed them for delivery to 96 residents at Goodwill Apartments, 3531 Hillman St., on the city’s South Side, and 87 residents at Norton Manor, 1400 Springdale Ave., on the East Side.

Goodwill houses senior citizens, and Norton, seniors and physically handicapped. The project has taken place at Goodwill previously; this was the first year at Norton.

The donations were totaled and after some quick calculating, the young people were told to select three small cans of soup, one large can of soup, a jar of peanut butter and three sleeves of crackers for each resident’s package.

Jen Maloney, outreach coordinator of Volunteer Services Agency, oversees the activity. “This is the third year for the project. It’s a chance for the generations to mingle,” she said. The young people involved are in ninth through 12th grades.

The event involved about 30 young people representing St. Brendan and St. Patrick Catholic churches and St. John Episcopal Church, all in Youngstown; St. Charles Borromeo Church and Good Hope Lutheran Church, both in Boardman; and the Teen Action Group from the Volunteer Services Agency.

“The Teen Action Group focuses on leadership development,” Maloney said. Corrie Adams, TAG coordinator, said, “This is a diverse group from different ethnic and religious backgrounds. This gives them experience working with other young people who also are volunteers.”

The activity ran from 1 to 3 p.m. but the memories of the experience will last much longer.

From the young people:

USiobhan Brown, 16, of TAG, said, “It’s an opportunity to help people in need and the chance to show that you care. I think it’s following in Jesus’ footsteps. I feel good about it and it’s a good chance to do community service. It’s following your Christian faith and living out your beliefs.” She attends Victory Christian Center.

U Alison Hall, 16, of Good Hope, said, “I’ve done other projects in the past. It’s good to help people.”

U Philip Zell, 17, of St. Charles, said, “Our group’s purpose is to help people.”

U Samantha Arrowsmith, 15, of TAG, said, “It’s good to give back to the community. We’re doing something good and not sitting around wasting time but out there helping people.”

U Troy Fitzwilliams, 13, of St. Brendan, said, “I like helping people and it makes me happy. I’ve seen the same people at projects helping out.”

From the senior citizens:

U Pauline Gibson said, “This is a godsend. I’ve been sick and not cooking. This will help me out.”

U Joyce Vickers said, “It’s nice that the young people are thinking of us. We’re on fixed incomes and this will be a nice warm meal.”

U Gladys Harris said, “It’s really nice for them to think of us. This helps me out.”

U Lawyer Williams, a disabled World War II Army veteran, said, “I really do appreciate this. It’s nice they thought of us here.”

Brenda Moses, Norton Manor manager, said, “The residents were excited about the young people coming.” Moses informed residents along with fliers posted on bulletin boards.

Lisa Robinson, Goodwill manager said, “This project is very well-received. The residents like meeting the kids, and it’s good they’re making contact with older people.

“They go door to door here, and each resident gets a special visit.”

linonis@vindy.com