Submitted by Allison Behnke
(May 29, 2024) — Haddam Killingworth Youth and Family Services has teamed up with Haddam Senior Services and the Killingworth Committee on Aging to offer the “Neighbors Helping Neighbors” program, designed to match a local family (with or without children) with an elderly neighbor who could use a little extra help with yard work.
We all know that families are incredibly busy these days with work, school, sports, family, friends and activities. Sometimes it feels impossible to slow down, never mind find a few hours to help a stranger who is finding it difficult to accomplish yard and garden work the way they could before.
Katherine Batzner, a recent volunteer, reports “We made new friends today! We had a wonderful time and encourage people to join in on the “Neighbors Helping Neighbors” project. If people would try, they might realize how rewarding it is for all involved.”
(Photo above: Liam and Emma Batzner. Photo by Katherine Batzner)
Serving others can bring us out of isolation and back into relationships and a sense of belonging in the community. Young people experience the way a single act of kindness can make a real impact on a person’s life. Knowing they can make a difference boosts self-confidence and can help them realize that their own efforts and skills can improve lives and the community around them. One young volunteer is just five years old, but was able to rake up sticks for an extremely grateful community member who doesn’t have any help cleaning up her yard after the winter months.
As parents we often get our kids involved in activities that serve others, but we don’t always get the opportunity to serve as a family. This program is designed to keep it simple by allowing a student or family to directly reach out to their match and schedule a time that fits their life.
Intergenerational activities are beneficial for youth and their families, but also greatly benefit the seniors involved. “It’s easy to think that most kids don’t like being outside or helping others, but that’s not true. Once I met the very nice neighbor we helped and started weeding with my mom, it felt good to know I was making a difference in her life. It didn’t take much time and we all felt really great,” said Alyssa Behnke, age 12. Finding opportunities for HK residents of all ages to connect and bond is essential in helping generations to understand, connect, and support each other.
“I would absolutely recommend that other families get involved because, as the saying goes, many hands make light work. If more families got involved, it would only be a few hours per family, and we could make a bigger impact for our local senior citizens,” said Krystal Pietruszka, a Higganum resident who volunteered with her family of four.
(Photo above: Maddy and Jake Pietruszka. Photo by Krystal Pietruszka)
“As a busy homeschooling family, we are always short on hours, but finding a few extra hours to help out an elderly neighbor was definitely worthwhile. While we were there, we could tell that she needed the help and her yard had not been cleaned well for a while. She was so thankful afterwards and it was nice to have a short chat with her at the end.”
The “Neighbors Helping Neighbors” program is designed to be a onetime visit lasting two to three hours where a family can work as a team to help a neighbor clean up or get to the yard job that feels impossible to tackle.
We need more volunteers and seniors to keep this project going. Reach out to HKYFS at alli.behnke@hkyfs.org for more information and to be matched in Haddam or Killingworth. We can all make a big difference one positive community connection at a time.
[…] HKYFS Seeks Volunteers for “Neighbors Helping Neighbors” Program […]