Grandfriends Club Welcomes New Members

Huntington High School’s Grandfriends Club is up and running and welcoming new members. The group has been one of the most active organizations around the building for many years and it has a full list of activities planned for 2023/24.

Grandfriends is an intergenerational program in which both senior citizens and teenagers develop an enriched relationship. It also serves to bridge the generation gap. The organization accomplishes its goals through visits to local senior citizen centers and satellite facilities and through various other initiatives. Several dozen students are participating in the club this year.

The organization is led by Jessica Maixner (president), Caroline McGreevy (vice president) and Yuliana Perla (treasurer). Teachers Suzi Biagi and Lauren Blackburn are the faculty advisors.

Club activities include making Thanksgiving Day baskets and distributing them through local senior citizen centers, writing pen pal letters, Christmas caroling at assisted living facilities (and now virtually) and hosting an annual senior-senior prom at a local senior assisted living facility.

“I’m really excited to be president of Grandfriends this year,” Ms. Maixner said. “It’s going to be so fun to go back to Sunrise Assisted Living and see them again. I definitely recommend joining the club because not only are you making the senior citizens days better, you’re also gaining amazing memories to look back on. I love the feeling of knowing after I go there I’ve made someone’s day a whole lot better.”

Interested in learning more or joining the group? Grandfriends meets once a month on Thursday afternoon from 2:30-3:30 p.m. Send a message to Ms. Biagi at sbiagi@hufsd.edu or Ms. Blackburn at lblackburn@hufsd.edu.