With senior citizens among those most at risk for COVID-19, many senior facilities have had to shut their doors to most visitors. This helps keep their residents safe, but it can also take a toll on their mental health and well-being. Wesleyan School student Avery Pursell of Riverview decided to do something about it, so she organized her friends to create ‘Bags of Hope’. The goal was simple: to assemble gift bags decorated with encouraging messages and filled with treats, letters, crossword puzzles and more. On May 2, 300 bags were delivered to Mount Vernon Towers Condominiums in Sandy Springs. They were a big hit.
“While delivering the bags today, we got so many smiles and positive comments. One resident was waiting outside of her door and yelled down the hall, “YES! This is the highlight of my day,” said an anonymous staff member of Mount Vernon Towers.
Pursell and her fellow Wesleyan students organized similar deliveries in other senior living facilities and hope to plan more. On May 26, Bags of Hope filled with letters from Wesleyan’s 3rd graders and other goodies were received at Montclair Senior Living in Decatur. For more information about Bags of Hope and how to get involved, visit facebook.com/fillingbagsofhope/
Source: Melanie Pursell
