Girls Scouts Help Ann Choice Residents to Serve Others

On the day set aside to honor the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King’s birth, Ann Choice’s Keystone Multipurpose Room filled with residents and members of local Girl Scout troops.  Ten-year-old Caitlyn was the first person residents met as they entered the room.  Caitlyn wore her Girl Scouts pins proudly as she greeted residents and visitors. Next to her was a sign that read “Operation Gratitude.” 

Thanking Those Who Help to Keep America Free

Inside the Multipurpose Room, crafts, cards, letters and friendships were being created.  Girl Scouts from the Rolling Hills Elementary School Daily Troop served residents homemade cookies and lemonade.  Older girls from troops 21842, 2854 and 2587 worked four stations and helped residents write letters and cards to United States service members who are deployed overseas.  They also helped residents create crafts and pins for these tens of thousands of American service members to thank them for their ongoing service and to lift their morale and “put smiles on their faces.”

Tina Ruzzi-Longello, member of Ann Choice’s Community Resources team, said this is the first year the retirement center has hosted the service, an occasion that was open to all Ann Choice residents.  A resident-operated organization, Seniors United for Scouting, helped spearhead Monday’s event.  “It’s a great inter-generational event,” Ruzzi-Longello shared.  “It’s nice to see residents sit down with the Girl Scouts and create something together.”

Following Dr. King’s Example

Just as the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. dedicated his life to serving others, Girl Scouts throughout Warminster commit to serving others on the national holiday.  Seniors United for Scouting partnered with Girl Scout Leader Cheryl Bryant to pull the Ann Choice event together. Bryant has been working with Operation Gratitude since 2007. 

In addition to volunteering with the Girl Scouts, Bryant also works at Ann Choice.  When asked if she would like to see the Girl Scouts serve at Ann’s Choice again, she responded, “Yes.”  She added that the event helped, “the scouts to see that they are helping others to serve.”

Girls Scouts Partnering with Seniors

Ten-year-old Lauren worked as a server, greeter and station operator.  She said, “I signed up for all three hours.  It’s fun because I get to do crafts and greet people and serve.”  She added, “I’d like to do it again.”

Philomenia, also 10 years old, said, “It’s good that we come together to do something to help soldiers.”  Sitting across from her and writing a letter to a deployed service member, eleven-year-old, Julie, shared, “It feels really good to give back and help others on this special day.  Everybody came together to do something important.”

Seniors who participated in the event busied themselves at various stations.  Muriel, an Ann Choice resident, paused from writing a letter to a service member and said recently she was, “Reading a book about World War II, and can’t imagine what it must be like to be in a foreign country and not know whether or not it’s safe to go outside.”  Muriel “appreciates any effort anyone makes to keep America free.” 

She added, “If not for others who served before, I wouldn’t be enjoying my life as an older person right now.  This is a nice thing to do on Martin Luther King Jr., Day.”

Jane, another Ann Choice resident, said, “It’s really neat that people came out.  It makes us residents feel that we are a part.  It’s great that we at Ann’s Choice open our facility to events like this.  It helps us to feel like we are a part of the community.”

 Approximately 40 Ann Choice residents and 20 Girl Scouts participated in the event that ran from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m.  In addition to the cards, letters and crafts, care packages containing food, hygiene products and entertainment items will be sent to deployed service members over the coming days and weeks.