Untitled Document

Working as a TEAM
PCMS students visit nursing home as part of program

Geraldine McColm, 97, and J.R., 11, work together to make Christmas cards for residents of another nursing home Wednesday afternoon at Guest Home Estates. Frevele was one of several Pittsburg Community Middle School students to visit Guest Home Estates with the TEAM (Together Everyone Acheives More) program.

Every Wednesday afternoon residents at Guest Home Estates get a flock of young visitors from the Pittsburg Community Middle School.

It's part of the TEAM (Together Everyone Achieves More) program at the school.

"This is the community service component of the program," said Kerry Kubler, PCMS counselor.

"Last year Kerry called me and asked about doing this," said Shelley Gromer, Guest Home Estates manager. "I thought it sounded like a good idea."

She said that there were 12 youngsters involved in the program last year, and more than 20 this year.

"We've only got 25 residents here, and we thought having all 20 students at one time would be a little bit overwhelming for them," Gromer said. "So we've split it up, with the girls coming one week and the boys coming the next week."

"Many of these kids hadn't been in a nursing home or assisted living situation before," Kubler noted. "Shelley does a nice get-acquainted session with them to help them get adjusted.'

"We have a scavenger hunt with clues, such as 'find the 106-year-old resident', and that resident will be the student's partner," Gromer said. "The kids come after school and stay around 45 minutes to an hour, so that gives us time to do a nice activity. Sometimes we play games or have crafts, and we've also cooked."

"What are we doing today?" J.R. Frevele, PCMS sixth grader, asked Geraldine McColm, his partner, when he arrived Friday.

"We're making Christmas cards for other nursing homes," McColm, 97, responded.

"Oh, cool," Frevele said, and started working with paper and paints.

"It's supposed to say 'Oh Christmas Tree'," he said, displaying a card with smudged blue lettering.

Frevele said that he enjoys coming to see McColm and the other residents. "It's quite fun," he said. "I look forward to it."

McColm said that she also enjoying the visits. "The children are fun, and they help us," she said.

Resident Melvin Joseph also enjoys the kids, and is a favorite with them. "They'll come in and ask for him because he tells such neat stories," Gromer said.

"I was a railroad engineer and retired in 1978," Joseph said. "I take the kids way back to the days of steam trains."

"All of the kids have exceeded the two hours of community service that they're required to have, but they're still coming," Kubler said.

"The residents really miss the students during the summer, but I've had some of them come on their own," Gromer said.

"It's just a joy coming to this place," Frevele said.

The Morning Sun, (www.morningsun.net) December 1, 2005