BY BERNADETTE LAURITZEN
Executive Director
LARSO
While the Betty Ehart Senior Center had a bear visit last year, it was small in comparison to a pounce of bobcats that arrived just in time for Valentine’s Day!
The Barranca Mesa Elementary School Bobcats were sharing the love and kindness as part of their Kindness Week Challenge and the Los Alamos Retired and Senior Organization was thrilled to receive their love. The fun was split between the Los Alamos and White Rock centers and shared during lunch events. Aedin Loychik’s class stepped up with the plan and the clutter of bobcats all pitched in to help.
“I was looking for a kindness challenge for my students when I saw the post looking to pair classrooms with senior centers. I brought the idea to my class and they loved the idea of making cards for others,” said Loychik. “The goal was to spread kindness and cheer to others in our community because kindness and caring should be shared with all, not just those we are friendly with. We decided to open the project up to our school community.”
The youth leaders of the student council made announcements about the project and a drop off box was placed outside of Mrs. Loychik’s classroom. Cards were made in other classes throughout the school day and individual students spent time at home crafting their notes. The outcome was about 150 cards dropped off for the senior centers.
In the fall, the fourth-grade clowder of bobcats provided another kindness challenge where they wrote notes of kindness to friends, teachers and staff members. The Barranca Bobcats have been involved with K-Kids Club collecting children’s books for the African Library Project. Mrs. Holcomb’s fourth grade class sponsored a pajama drive and the sixth grade class did a drive for the Hope Pregnancy Center prior to winter break.
In addition to the Barranca donation, the centers received cards from Family Strengths Network and Linda Sanders with her grandchildren. The center was so rich with Valentine love, they sent them out in the grab-and-go lunch line and with Home Delivered Meals. They also shared their wealth with the three assisted living facilities in our community; BeeHive Homes of White Rock, Sombrillo and Aspen Ridge.