This fabulous groups of Benton County 4-H Ambassadors. Front row: Kendall Gerads, Emma Kaschmitter, Mia Messerli, Mist Schlough, Claudia Schlough, Valerie McKay, Luke McKay, Drew Arnold. 2nd Row: Megan Gerads, Allie Barringer, Eve McKay, Jess Nelson-Rademacher, Bella Manea, Jasmine Manea, Ann Olson. 3rd Row: Ava Messerli, Eli Rademacher, Skylar Morris, JulieAnn Gerads, Brenda Kaschmitter. 4th Row: Michael Schlough, Annie Reisinger, Elizabeth Reisinger, Robert Mersinger, Johnathan Mersinger, Paco Manea, Maggie Schneider. Not Pictured: Ann Barringer, Craig Barringer, Maya Rahm, Marnie Rahm, Connie Fox, Jared Fox, Anna Fox, Zeno Lutze, Scott Morris, Juanita Beauchamp. (Submitted Photo).
4-H’ers Allis Barringer, Emma Kaschmitter and JulieAnn Gerads were sorting our lights to decorate the foley nursing home courtyard to put smiles on the residents’ faces. “I feel like it was important for me to put up Christmas lights at the nursing home because it gives the old people a little bit of Christmas joy and something for them to watch in the evening and it makes them feel like there at home.” Shared 4-H Ambassador Allie Barringer, 12th grader from Becker. (Submitted Photo).
Benton County 4-H ambassadors were busy this week putting lights on Christmas trees in the Gardens of Foley Nursing Home courtyard. (L-R) 4-H’ers Skylar Morris, Luke McKay and Valerie McKay wanted to encourage the residents by decorating outside the windows of residents to bring them joy. (Submitted Photo).
This past week at the nursing home Gardens of Foley, the Benton County 4-H Ambassadors and families spent time decorating the courtyard with trees and holiday lights to bring some joy to the residents. Pictured here is 4-H’er Jasmine Manea, 10th grader from Sauk Rapids making sure that the lights were evenly distributed on the tree. (Submitted Photo).
The Gardens of Foley Nursing Home in Foley this past week was lit up with tree and holiday lights by the Benton County 4-H Ambassadors. The lights will be lit from now until the end of January. (Submitted Photo).
4-H Ambassadors light up the lives of area senior citizens
Submitted Article
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November 27th, 2024 @ 9:44 am
Benton County 4-H Ambassadors took advantage of a beautiful day and evening to decorate the Gardens of Foley courtyard with holiday lights recently.
The Ambassadors and families hung lights, set up trees, ran extension cords and enjoyed spending time together as they worked to “light up” the lives of the residents of the nursing home for the upcoming holidays.
Many of the youth that came and helped, have been coming faithfully every year sincethey started the program in November of 2020. 4-H’er Johnathon Mersinger, senior from St. Cloud, who has come every year to hang lights since the beginning stated, “I like to help decorate the nursing home lawn every year because it is fun to see an empty space transformed with colorful lights, which I know will bring joy to the residents and staff there throughout the season.”
“I feel like it was important for me to put up Christmas lights at the nursing home because it gives the residents a little bit of Christmas joy and something for them to watch in the evening and it makes them feel like there at home,”said 4-H Ambassador Allie Barringer, 12th grader from Becker.
Each of the youth value this experience of giving back to their community. They specifically want to be sure that the residents of the nursing home know that they have not been forgotten.
“Showing up to help with the lights is something I look forward to doing each year,” said 4-H Ambassador Maya R, a senior from Foley. “Decorating the courtyard gives the residents hope and something to look forward to with the holiday season approaching.”
The Benton County 4-H Ambassadors plan to continue this tradition. A huge thank you to the many people that donated lights and to everyone that came out that day to make this possible.