FRANKLIN COUNTY, Va. (WDBJ) - Students at Henry Elementary School are putting together goodie bags for seniors to show them some love this Valentine’s Day.
Third grade teacher Katrell Ramsey has been organizing the program for six years.
“When I first started, I thought was going to be a one-time thing,” said Katrell Ramsey, third grade teacher at Henry Elementary School. “But, we took some of the students with us to deliver them and just seeing how happy and surprised the residents were, that somebody else was thinking of them, was just heartwarming.”
The goodie bags include snacks, toothpaste, toothbrushes, lotion and more. They also come with handwritten Valentine’s Day cards from the students.
“It’s a little teachable moment when we’re talking to them about the nursing home and why we’re doing this. Some of them even have family members, or have known somebody at a nursing home. So, then it touches them a little bit closer to home,” added Ramsey.
This year, they raised $800 in donations from parents to make around 180 goodie bags for three nursing homes.
“That first year, we sponsored maybe 30 residents at the local nursing home. So, each year, it has grown. Now, this year is probably the biggest amount of bags we’ve been able to do,” explained Ramsey.
They will be delivering the goodie bags to Franklin Health and Rehab Monday evening and Fork Mountain Rest Home next week.
Copyright 2023 WDBJ. All rights reserved.