Georgia educators teach students the art of giving Sweaters for Seniors

A charitable program between a for profit business and a nonprofit to help seniors has become a learning opportunity in both public and private Georgia schools the past two years.

The program entitled "Sweaters For Seniors" was created by Alternative Home Care for Seniors (AHCS) as a way to contribute to the community. According to Gary Galloway, Volunteer Service Coordinator for Gwinnett County Senior Services, "many homebound seniors suffer from the cold each winter. They struggle to pay heating bills and medical prescriptions and it's really tough on them."

Derrick Merchant, owner of AHCS runs a for profit business, but wanted to do something more for the elderly population. "When we came up with Sweaters for Seniors, the idea fit our business' mission to help seniors while also providing an additional resource to our community," he explains.

The program first caught the attention of Georgia educators last year. After Maria Spartis, a 4th grade teacher at the Galloway School saw "Sweaters for Seniors" featured on CBS Better Mornings, she asked AHCS if her students could be involved. A few weeks later, four classes at the private school next to Chastain Park had dug through their parents' closets and knocked on neighbors' doors. They brought in 250 knit pieces and pinned handmade cards to them for Gwinnett County Senior Services.

This year, when the program rolled around for its second year, Njeri Skeete, Care Coordinator at Alternative Home Care for Seniors (AHCS) had another good idea involving students. She thought of putting a “Sweaters for Seniors” collection box at her daughter’s elementary school and having a contest. The class that collected the most sweaters would earn a pizza party.

The principal at R.L. Norton Elementary in Gwinnett County agreed. And so, began the ”K-5 Sweaters for Seniors” (S4S) competition last month.

Four weeks later, 11 fifth graders beamed on a Friday afternoon. That’s when representatives from AHCS dropped by with pepperoni pizza and apple juice to honor the children’s charitable achievement.  But first, they held a brief Q&A session and awards ceremony for Mrs. Carolyn Miller’s 5th grade class, which raised the most knit pieces for S4S.

As Mrs. Miller explained, “When the contest started, I asked the class if they’d want to trade in their ice cream cards — a tradition here– for blankets to give to seniors instead. They unanimously agreed and thus, raised the most sweaters in the school.”

“My grandfather gets cold a lot,” said one young man. “He’s always looking for good buys on clothing,” he explained. “Seniors are more frugal as they get older,” explained another 5th grade young lady. “They have less money to spend and need to be more careful with their money,” she added.

The compassionate and well informed group then gathered close to their teacher they obviously respect. An Auburn alum and Georgia educator of 22 years, she smiled back at her students with pride not unlike, Maria Spartis at the Galloway School did the year before.

These two teachers, Spartis and Miller, demonstrate both creativity and leadership in the classroom. They inspire their public and private school students to think of helping others and then, to actually do it. Thanks to the outstanding Georgia educators, Sweaters for Seniors will return in 2010 and hopes to get the attention of more schools in the peach state.