Chelsea Middle School, Riverbend
Enjoy Ongoing Relationship
By Cornelia Cesari

The Chelsea Middle School Student Council, under advisor Sydney Copp, is in its second year of weekly visits to Riverbend Residential Center.

"I look forward to going to Riverbend with a small group of students each week," Copp says. "It’s a chance for me to walk and talk with them about life in general, not just school. At Riverbend, we play games, paint fingernails, do art projects, or simply sit and talk."

Originally, the idea was one of a community service project, but the kids soon found that the benefits are mutual. One lesson is the intrinsic pleasure of volunteerism.

Sixth grader Kayleigh Peterson says, "I like keeping the residents happy. It makes me happy to see them happy."

The residents have stories, wisdom, and games to share. New friendships have formed, and over time, deeper bonds have developed with individual residents.

Copp, who accompanies the students almost every week, relates, "One resident in particular has become a favorite of mine because she is so full of wit and humor, despite the near total loss of both her hearing and her vision. I have started reading to her, something that we both enjoy. The students have found residents that they relate to in some way as well."

Jacob Brooke, a seventh grader, confirms this. "It’s been fun to go to Riverbend because I’ve made a friend," he says. "We’ve played Operation, we’ve played Go-Fish and other card games—stuff like that."

Interviews with their elder friends have been published in the school newsletter, and during vacation time, students have been known to visit Riverbend on their own.

Riverbend Residential owner Jennifer Doyle says the residents look forward to the kids’ visits and encourages other community members to drop in and get to know these neighbors, noting, "They especially enjoy musical performances of any kind."

"On the whole," reflects Copp, "this partnership has highlighted the genuine hearts of our young students, and shown me how respectful they can be."

Eighth grader Conner LaFromboise clearly appreciates the value of the visits when she says, of her friends at Riverbend, "They give me a new perspective on life."

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