Rossmoor cupids send a special delivery

by Ruth Osborn

rutho@lwsb.com

Last week, LW residents started receiving special Valentine’s messages handcrafted with love from students of Rossmoor Elementary. It touched them to their toes, this flood of love and affection from pre-kindergarten to fifth-grade students.

Over 600 pupils took precious time out of their day to handprint over 1,200 special messages and carefully color the Valentines, which are still rippling throughout the community.

“I feel the love and affection,” said Vera Glass of Mutual 8. “And I’m sending it back to each one of those kids. What a sweet thing to do for us.”

“Thank you for your thoughtful card. It put a smile on my face,” said Gayle Ehrenberg of Mutual 5, who received her Valentine at the LW Library, where hundreds of cards were handed out as people checked out books. The school-wide project was part of a community service initiative to mark the Great Kindness Challenge Week Jan. 23–27. The challenge is part of a global campaign to promote kindness and prevent bullying in pre-kindergarten through grade 12.

Rossmoor Elementary student leaders came up with the idea to send Valentine’s love into the senior community, said Megan Avalos, a fifth-grade teacher whose students participated in the project. Younger and older kids partnered to color cards and compose messages like: “You are so sweet; just a reminder that you are loved”; “Happy Valentine’s Day, you are some bunny special”; and You are the sweetest cupcake on the tray.” The project hit close to home since some of the pupils have grandparents and other relatives who live in Leisure World.

Avalos parents, Mike and Rose Banfield of Mutual 8, happen to live here as well. They were happy to act as a channel for the Valentine’s project, sorting cards and arranging to have them distributed throughout LW.

“I’m gratified to see children learning about kindness and care,” said Mutual 8 President Jeri Dolch, who walked around with Banfield to hand out the cards to residents Feb. 9. “I think it’s a great project, and everyone appreciated them.”

The Valentine project is just one of the community service efforts undertaken by Rossmoor students, according to Avalos. Students also organized a clothing and toiletries drive for Casa Youth Shelter, a Los Alamitos nonprofit that supports kids in crisis.

And they participated in the Pennies for Puppies campaign that raised money for Guide Dogs of America, a Los Angelesbased nonprofit that breeds, raises and trains guide dogs for people who are blind/visually impaired, and service dogs for veterans and children with autism. As for LW’s campaign, “the kids should know that the Valentine kindness sent to LW is a priceless gift,” said Banfield. He knows because he saw residents’ smiles and delight first hand as they were handed the festive little reminders that kids really care about the elders in their community.

LW Library Manager Taylor Greene hands out a Valentine to Gayle Ehrenbergof Mutual 5 at the LW Library Feb. 9.Ruth Osborn, photos

Mutual 8 Board members CFO Sandy Weisenstein (l-r), Vice President Michael Banfield, President Jeri Dolch and Director Jami Reed handed out Valentine’s to lucky LW residents.

Mutual 8 President Jeri Dolch gives handmade Valentine’s cards to Barbara Berget and Paul Stalhut.

Vera and Melvin Glass are delighted to accept a Valentine from Mutual 8 President Mike Banfield.