It’s love, love, love at Woodhull Intermediate School where social workers Catherine Juliano and Mary Guzman-Lewis spent time brainstorming and went on to develop a community service initiative they billed “Love Letters for Huntington Seniors Project.”
After successful Thanksgiving Day food drive and holiday gift program projects, the two social workers took a deep breath and spent time considering what should come next.
It's love, love, love at Woodhull Intermediate School.
“Our vision was to have our Woodhull students create Valentine’s Day cards for a local nursing home,” Ms. Juliano said. “We chose to partner with Carillon Nursing Home. Residents at nursing homes are even more prone to isolation due to COVID-19 restrictions. We thought this type of community service project would spread some love, uplift local senior citizens and our students!”
The social workers spoke with Woodhull Student Council faculty advisors Scott Armyn and Jessica Risalvato about having their organization take the lead on the project. “They loved the idea and have been so supportive and instrumental in making this project come to life,” Ms. Juliano said.
The advisors tapped fifth grader Keira Lynch to spearhead the project, asking her to pitch it to her classmates. “The student council members loved the idea, got right to work and empowered their peers to get involved,” Ms. Juliano said. “Because of the generous contribution of our teachers and students, we sent 250 Valentine’s Day cards to Carillon residents. A big thank you to Scott Armyn, Jessica Risalvato and the teachers of Woodhull Intermediate School. This project was made possible because of you. Most importantly, thank you to the students who created beautiful, heart-felt cards.”