On a beautiful spring morning, Ottewell Place Lodge was buzzing with excitement for a special get-together as residents eagerly awaited the arrival of their tiny friends from Terra Centre.
“For many, these moments bring joy and evoke cherished memories from the most impactful time of their lives; child-rearing,” says Eva Moodley, Activity & Wellness Coordinator
Within moments, 10 toddlers eager to play with their senior pals filled the lounge with toys and laughter. Little did they know about the surprise in store for them, thanks to a heartfelt donation from residents Bill and Donna Shanks.
A Labour of Love
“I had been making things with plastic canvas for a while and one day I got the notion to make a block with letters and numbers similar to wooden alphabet blocks,” says Bill. “About that time the grandchildren and great grandchildren came along, and I started giving them each their own box of blocks.”
Since moving into the lodge nine months ago with wife Donna, Bill, a master craftsman, kept making the alphabet block kits as a way to keep busy. Fueled by his love for his family the kits piled up quickly. Donating them to them to the children of teen parents provided a perfect match for a labour of love.
“We were so impressed by the opportunity Terra Centre gives young parents and we thought it would be a good way to support them,” says Donna.
The toddlers were thrilled, and both the givers and receivers admired the meticulously handcrafted blocks with mutual appreciation, while fostering an easy connection between the young and the young at heart.
Fostering Connections
From the perspective of activities and wellness programming, Eva notes that intergenerational visits have cognitive and emotional benefits for both seniors and children.
“The best part about these programs is that they become a positive feedback loop. The more engagement we have at each visit, the more benefits there are all around, and for future visits.”
For GEF Seniors Housing, moments like these demonstrate our vision of creating vibrant, affordable communities for seniors.
We invite our partners in the community to get involved at any of our 41 locations across Edmonton. Send us a message through our Contact Us page under the Get Involved tab.