For the second year in a row, the students, staff, and faculty at the Saginaw campus of Ross Medical Education Center have created handmade valentines for the residents at area assisted living facilities. This year 84 students participated in the event, making a total of 93 cards! After receiving lists of first names from the selected assisted living facilities, each student got their creative juices flowing to make a beautiful, personalized valentine for the elderly person whose name they selected. Julie McIntosh, Medical Assistant Instructor, shared some of their inspiration, “We wanted to give back to the community and the students were excited to do it! We wanted to put a smile on their faces and make them feel special.”
On Friday, February 13, the valentines were delivered to the various assisted living facilities to be given to the individual for whom they had been created. The different people that the campus made cards for were located at Community Village, Sterling House, and Clare Bridge. Community Village is a non-profit facility operated by the City Rescue Mission of Saginaw. Sterling House and Clare Bridge, devoted to memory care, are both in located in Saginaw and owned by Brookdale Senior Living, a national company with sites in 46 states.
The students enjoyed making the cards, but were especially inspired knowing that they were making each card for a specific person. They tried to imagine the things that that individual would love and then make the card to touch their heart in a special way. Frank Skinner, Campus Director, shared, “What really made these special was that each valentine was written to a specific resident with their first name, giving it a personal touch. It’s important to remember our seniors, who often are forgotten on holidays. I am proud of this campus for caring this much!” This event is one that Saginaw plans to continue for many years to come!