The volunteer opportunity Adopt-A-Grandparent has steadily attracted more St. Thomas participants during the last few years.

Adopt-A-Grandparent is part of Volunteers-In-Action, the Campus Ministry-affiliated service organization that aims to serve people in the Twin Cities metro area. Club members advertised the volunteer opportunity at the activities fair in late September, gaining more than 20 interested students. The club meets with residents at the Golden LivingCenter for an hour on Monday and Tuesday nights to talk, share stories and play games.

St. Thomas senior and Adopt-A-Grandparent co-president Jayme Nelson said the volunteers are there to give the residents an opportunity to express themselves.

“We’re there to listen, hear their life stories, ask questions and learn about them,” Nelson said. “A big part of what we are doing is just giving these people attention and trying to let them know that people care about them.”

The club is volunteering at a different nursing home from last year and, as a result, has altered the program to fit the needs of the residents. Students are able to meet with residents one-on-one as well as get involved in group activities in the common areas. Sophomore club member Morgan Hendrickson said she enjoyed volunteering last year and is looking forward to meeting the new residents.

“It was fun getting to know the people at the homes and being able to come back each week and seeing the same people I made a connection with,” Hendrickson said. “I’m excited to meet the new people at the home this year as we moved to a new location. It will be fun to make new connections.”

The residents at Golden LivingCenter range in ages and medical needs, and many do not have any children or families to visit them. Sophomore and Adopt-A-Grandparent co-president Jackie Payne believes the volunteers really make a difference in the residents’ days.

“They do have their nurses that they talk to every day who take care of them, but I think it’s probably nice to get some fresh faces in there and hear from a younger crowd of volunteers,” Payne said.

Payne also enjoys making the residents happy by asking about their lives, even if it is the same conversation each week.

“There was one lady from last year who didn’t remember who we were but loved having us every week,” Payne said. “We would go in there, and every time we would ask her about how she met her husband because she loved talking about it, and she would light up.”

Nelson values the life lessons he learns from volunteering at nursing homes. He encourages people to get involved because of how much they can learn from the residents and give back to a group of people who are too often overlooked.

“It’s interesting—being on campus we are almost in a bubble, but within a mile and a half there is this treasure trove of wisdom and life experiences that you can gain a lot from,” Nelson said. “Even more than that, I think it’s an amazing opportunity to give back and really care for a neglected group of people.”

Nelson said his desire to volunteer with Adopt-A-Grandparent stemmed from his relationship with his own grandparents.

“I’ve learned to value elderly people from having grandparents that I’m really close with,” Nelson said. “There’s just so much insight into life and what their experiences have shown them. I really try to gain whatever wisdom I can through them and apply it to my own life.”

Payne encourages students to set aside their reservations about volunteering at a nursing home and see how rewarding the experience can be.

“I encourage people to just try it and see if they can get something out of it,” Payne said. “A new experience can make you realize it’s nice to be young and give back to people who need support and need a friend and want to be heard.”

Claire Noack can be reached at noac8702@stthomas.edu.