Growing up, Trina Walker-Savage remembers her grandparents emphasizing the importance of helping their communities. Her paternal grandparents, a deacon and a crossing guard, helped members of their church strengthen their faith and guided children safely to and from their school each day. Her maternal grandparents, a day laborer and a community gardener, grew fresh produce for neighbors.
To honor her grandparents’ commitment to service, Walker-Savage, a social worker at Pennsylvania Hospital’s Hall-Mercer Community Mental Health Center, developed a non-profit in North Philadelphia.
Named after her maternal and paternal grandparents, the Sunshine Martha Everette Ruth Lamar (SMERL) Corporation hosts a variety of programs for community members, including a soup kitchen and pantry for neighbors and after-school activities for children, such as art and sewing classes. It was conversations with the children that sparked the idea for the non-profit’s latest program – Read With Me Wonderland, which was recently awarded a grant from Penn Medicine’s CAREs program.
“I was very close with my grandparents. I asked some of the children how often they sit down with their own grandparents, asking if grandma braids their hair or if grandpa helps them with homework,” said Walker-Savage. “I then thought about the senior citizens at nursing homes who may not have these interactions with grandchildren and may have feelings of isolation.”
Walker-Savage and her volunteer team, consisting of current and former teachers, then began developing a virtual program centered on storytelling.
“The goal was to blend generations and give each group a voice,” said Walker-Savage. “The senior citizens can share stories about their lives, while the kids can learn about the past and practice their reading and speaking skills.”
The team reached out to guidance counselors at local schools, of all grade levels, and nursing homes, to see if their students and residents would be interested in participating in the summer program, set to launch this coming July. Currently, there are 32 enrolled students, primarily in the pre-teen age group, who will be paired with willing senior citizens. Held in a virtual space due to COVID-19 safety precautions, students can join Walker-Savage and volunteers from their own digital devices, who then connect them to the nursing homes’ senior citizens. On the calls, the students can read books to the senior citizens and engage in conversation, giving both groups the opportunity to socialize.
Supported by the CAREs grant, Walker-Savage was able to assemble bags for both the students and senior citizens participating in the program. She purchased books that were requested by the children, ranging from The Cat in the Hat to Harry Potter, in addition to masks, hand sanitizers, and a journal to write their own thoughts and stories. The students will also receive back-to-school supplies at the end of the program. The senior citizens received bags with gloves, hats, and nonperishable food, along with their own masks and hand sanitizers.
“We were in tears. We were so grateful we could support the program this way,” said Walker-Savage. “We look forward to strengthening the generational connections within our community.”
Penn Medicine CAREs grants are awarded quarterly to a variety of community-outreach programs spearheaded or supported by Penn Medicine faculty, staff, students, and trainees. To learn more, visit PennMedicine.org/community.