Sue Pearson chats with Conor Dunback during “speed meeting” Friday afternoon at the Community Center." />
Sue Pearson chats with Conor Dunback during “speed meeting” Friday afternoon at the Community Center.
It wasn’t exactly speed dating, but about a dozen senior citizens still hoped to find the perfect match Friday afternoon.
A new partnership between the Senior Foundation of Eudora and the high school is bringing together senior citizens and students to create connections.
The Student Assistant and Senior Service met for the first time Friday at the Community Center where a dozen students had the chance to “speed meet” with the senior citizens.
After three minutes with each, the students and seniors could decide if they would like to exchange contact information. The pairings give the senior members a person to call when they need extra help.
Sue Pearson had the chance to get to know several students.
“I did have a good time. The students are really something else. I’m pleased to see that they have an interest in it,” she said.
Ruth Hughs of the Senior Foundation started an adopt-a-grandparent program 40 years ago for her third-grade class, giving her the idea to try this.
“It was magic,” she said of the grandparent program. “That’s what I’m hoping for. That we’ll see that connection made again.”
She is most excited for the socialization between the two groups and the relationships that can form.
“We’re hoping after our meeting on Friday, when we’ve hooked everybody up together, that they will find ways to get together, have meaningful conversations, and that the high school students can do things like shovel their sidewalk, maybe take their trash cans in and out each week,” Hughs said.
Many senior citizens were intrigued with the program for extra help around the house. Ideas bounced around included changing light bulbs or reaching high places.
“I would like to have help shoveling the snow and mowing the grass,” foundation member Brenda Eubanks said.
The students participating were from Cardinal Corps, a group dedicated to improving the culture at school. In order to be in Cardinal Corps, the students must complete an application, help out around the school and attend school events. For this program, the students all volunteered.
“I’m interested in this just to make connections and form those relationships between people that you wouldn’t usually,” student Audrey Shain said.
Superintendent Stu Moeckel said this is an opportunity to create a partnership built on service to the community and seniors. The program will allow two age groups to relate and create a closer relationship.
“There’s a wealth of knowledge there that can be shared both ways,” Moeckel said.
The seniors and students committed to the program until the end of May. Afterward, they will decide whether to continue into the following school year.
The group is planning to meet again in a month.
The Senior Foundation’s next event will be its Friday Fun Fellowship from 1-3 p.m. Feb. 10 at the Community Center.
Reach reporter Katie Hanney at [email protected].
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