UK students share smiles, wreaths with nursing home residents
December 9, 2013
By Judah Taylor
Smiling faces is what chemistry junior Kim Nguyen was hoping to see.
And that’s what she saw when UK’s Young at Heart program delivered 100 wreaths to residents of Lexington’s Mayfair Manor nursing home on Sunday.
The group, which “brings together the young, and the young at heart,” connects students with those living in assisted living communities, nursing homes and senior centers, according to the group’s website.
Nguyen said they chose wreaths because they were easy to make and symbolized Christmas.
All 100 were made by a number of students over a three-day period.
Some residents were hesitant to accept the free wreaths at first, asking how much they cost. But all were smiling with their visitors by the end of the evening.
Both Nguyen and Kamla Jones, the group’s adviser, agreed that their favorite part of the visit was “seeing smiles on the residents faces.”
“I know they really appreciate it and are excited to see us. Many of them don’t get a lot of visitors,” Jones said.
For more information about Young at Heart, which is a part of UK’s Center for Community Outreach, visit ukcco.org.
