Reaching Out, a club founded in 2024 by Grace Boren, is reaching forward with motive and empathy towards the older community. Reaching Out is a club that visits nursing homes. The club meets in the newspaper room, 119, and makes fun gifts for the elderly residents to enjoy. Reaching out has made Valentine’s Day goody bags (containing Valentine-themed crossword puzzles, brain games, and hard candy), Christmas and Hanukkah cards, and more.
Grace was first inspired to start the club when her grandmother went into a nursing home, and she was worried her grandmother would be unhappy. Since then, Grace’s club has been helping other residents of nursing homes. The purpose of Reaching Out is to make residents at nursing homes happy. Elderly people in nursing homes can often feel lonely, bored, or depressed. Grace described a situation where “she’d press the call help button and nobody would come.” Since visiting, the club has recieved positive feedback, such as one resident saying, “this made my whole week.”
Grace says not only is the club a heartwarming experience, but it is also a very eye-opening experience. By visiting low-income, high-need nursing homes or rehab centers, she’s found it very emotional. People love to connect with others and enjoy the presence of the high school students, even if it is simply to reminisce about years past. During one of these visits, a resident even told the story of when he owned a pet bear. Grace wants to bring awareness to these residents who may or may not have frequent visitors. She hopes that more students would like to get involved to spread joy and kindness throughout our Woodlands elderly community.
Reaching out has big plans for the future of the club, hoping to host big events, and visit the residents of the nursing homes and centers even more. While material donations help, simply joining and lending a hand is enough. Club meetings are once a month on Wednesdays, and then meet at various homes and centers in the Woodlands on other days. For more information, the club has an Instagram page, reaching_out_at.twhs.
