During the holidays, family and friends usually get together to exchange gifts and a laugh or two, but this is not the case for everyone.
For some seniors in nursing homes, there is a different reality.
Zina Williams, a biology major and staff member at the University of Lynchburg’s Beard Center on Aging, said the holiday season is a difficult time for those who don’t have a family, especially for seniors.
The rising sophomore wanted to do something for them this holiday so they don’t “feel so lonely during the winter.”
She organized Art For Seniors — a project that gives seniors in Danville nursing homes paintings as Christmas gifts.
Williams said she already had a connection at Dan River High School with visual arts teacher Dan Franklin, as they were already friends, so she decided to reach out to nursing homes in Danville as Dan River High School is not far.
People are also reading…
Williams collaborated with students at Dan River High School to distribute 50 paintings to three Danville nursing homes — Roman Eagle Rehabilitation and Health Care, Brookdale Danville Piedmont Senior Living Solutions and Bright Leaf Place.
“I wanted to do something, but I obviously can’t afford to buy a bunch of gifts like that,” Williams said. “So, I thought I could get high schoolers involved, because it exposes them to volunteering ... and gives them a sense of pride in helping people.”
Denise Scruggs, director of the Beard Center, said Williams came to the staff at the center about five months ago with this idea.
“To see it from conception to reality has been exciting for us to watch, because it means a lot to be able to work with younger people to serve older people in our community, and to participate in an intergenerational activity, especially one at the holidays,” Scruggs said.
Williams and Scruggs went to Dan River High School on Dec. 15, to meet with Franklin and his students to pick up the paintings.
Franklin said when Williams came to him about the idea, he was completely sold.
He said students started the process of creating the paintings around the first week of November. He wanted his students to think about the adults who were receiving them, how old they are and what they might relate to.
He suggested rural concepts to students; however, if students suggested a concept they thought was appropriate, he would give them the “green light.”
“I’m very proud of the work that they’ve done,” Franklin said.
There were about 25 students who committed to working on a painting for the project and, as a class, they created 49 paintings and Williams added one of her own. The paintings were about 10 inches wide and 14 inches long.
Kristen Powell, junior at Dan River High School, said she brought her “love of horses into her love of paintings” for her work. She painted three Dutch draft horses in the field.
Powell said she loves giving gifts to others.
“I had a great aunt who was in the nursing home and I’d go and visit her once a week,” Powell said. When I was up there, I’d give gifts to her roommates or people in her hall and helped out around the nursing home.”
Dan River High sophomore Charlotte Hodnett experimented with blue, black and white colors and mixed the variations together for her painting. She created a cabin and mountain landscape.
Hodnett said she thought the project was a great idea when Franklin mentioned it to the group.
“I think it benefits them a lot, when they [seniors] can get something for Christmas. Even if it’s just little, it doesn’t take much time,” Hodnett said.
Claire Hall, another sophomore at the high school, said she worked with watercolors to create a farm scene with a barn, a silo, blue skies and grass.
Hall said she’s grateful just to be able to help and give gifts to the seniors.
“Even if it’s just a painting that took me a few days to do, I’m glad it can make someone’s Christmas happy,” Hall said.
After picking up the paintings Dec. 15, Williams and Scruggs traveled to the nursing homes to distribute them.
Scruggs said this project teaches a valuable lesson for the holidays that “we’re all in life together,” and it’s important to reach out, be kind and help each other.
“For some, this is the only gift they’ll get in the whole year,” she said. “It is a great reminder to all of us how blessed we are and how many support systems that we have; Christmas is a great time to remember that.”