Mike Bucher and Angela Schreffler have been volunteering with the Family and Elder program for almost a year. They were fortunate to have been matched with two roommates at Forest Street Compassionate Care, Clyde and Adib. Mike and Angela visit the two men once a week and have been enriched by the experience.

Adib is a quiet, thoughtful, and inquisitive conversationalist, who loves to swap fun facts with Mike. He has shared his experiences of living all over the country and loves to speak about his Muslim faith. Clyde is kind and content, and he enjoys sharing stories about his childhood, including memories of his parents and siblings.

Mike and Angela started volunteering with Bessie’s Hope after Angela’s father became very ill and spent the last five months of his life in a nursing home. When visiting him, they were struck by how many individuals in the facility never came out of their rooms and didn’t seem to have any visitors. Having worked in nursing homes in high school and college, Angela realized how wide-spread this issue and both agreed that they wanted to help make the life of an elder a little less lonely and isolating.

Mike and Angela consider their visits with Clyde and Adib to be the highlight of each week! Each has learned so much from their time with the men, both individually and as a married couple. Bessie’s Hope has connected them to two individuals who have become part of their family.

If you would like to learn more about our Family & Elders Program, click here.

Students from McAuliffe International School have been visiting Rosemark at Mayfair for over a year, sharing stories, creativity and laughter with one another. The youth and elders alike have benefited immensely from the joy of relationship-building.

Smiles beamed, feet tapped and hands clapped as the 7^th graders recently revived their production of Once on This Island for the residents. Studies have shown that music can shift mood, manage stress and stimulate positive interactions for our elders. The youth spoke afterward about how they, too, felt transformed. One student exclaimed, “I can’t believe how happy that made me!”

Life-enhancing experiences like these happen all the time with Bessie’s Hope because we ground our work in education and training volunteers of all ages.

Bessie’s Hope has had an alliance with Mile High Youth Corps for several years.  The service-oriented organization was set up at about the same time as was Bessie’s Hope.  They are a youth development agency dedicated to career and college readiness, self-improvement and job skills.

Their corps members have been some of our most treasured volunteers.  They have visited literally hundreds of residents in many of Bessie’s Hope’s elder care community partnerships.  The combination of youth wanting to make a difference and elders open to those youth is profoundly beneficial for all involved.

The Bessie’s Hope system provides the education and structure to make the initial discomfort much more comfortable.  The music and activities add the fun factor.  The result is connection and appreciation regardless of outer differences.

Another factor in our success with MHYC is the compassion and willingness of their group leader, Ms. Sierra Cashion. She has been a champion of this intergenerational work and we wish her well.

Our enthusiasm to work together – Bessie’s Hope and Mile High Youth Corps – continues, with the knowledge of future success!