When eight 3- and 4-year-olds from New Holland Early Learning Center (NHELC) arrived at the Fallcrest Household skilled nursing care section of Garden Spot Village (GSV) on the morning of Aug. 1, the sounds of their laughter broke the relative quiet.

GSV resident Jackie Thompson was prepared to read the children a story as they gathered on the floor before his chair and within a circle of seated residents who had anxiously awaited the children's arrival. "Oh, it's a good one," declared Thompson of "Feathers for Lunch" by Lois Ehlert. The book is about a house cat who escapes his home and meets a variety of birds. The subject of wild birds coincided with the theme of the preschoolers' visit to GSV. Thompson punctuated his storytelling with comments about the various birds the cat meets, giving away his own interest in baseball by pointing out a number of teams that utilize bird names, including the Toronto Blue Jays and the Baltimore Orioles.

When Thompson finished, the children turned around to face Patricia Simmeth, who read a story based on the biblical parable of the lost coin. "My story is from the Bible, so it's really God's story," Simmeth told the children. When the story ended, Simmeth read from the Book of Luke, saying, "There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

When Simmeth finished, Marcia Parsons, resident life experience director with GSV, who oversees the program, divided the children into two groups. While one group moved throughout Fallcrest on a scavenger hunt looking for photos of different types of birds, the other group stayed with the resident circle and tossed rings onto plastic ducks set up on the floor. The children took turns with the residents by picking up the rings and bringing them to residents to toss again. When the groups switched, children sat with residents at tables and used watercolor paints to color in line drawings of birds.

The regular visits by children who attend NHELC began some time after COVID-19 restrictions were lifted and it was deemed safe for the generations to connect. Prior to that, going back about eight years, according to Jen Morales, assistant director with NHELC, a few seniors from GSV were visiting NHELC. "It seemed there could be more involvement if we took the kids to GSV," recalled Morales, who said an NHELC kindergarten class had traveled to GSV monthly at one point. "Transportation became a problem," Morales stated, adding "GSV was kind enough to purchase car seats and provide transportation to help make the visits a reality. Morales credits Parsons for facilitating the connection between the generations when Parsons moved into her position.

Parsons explained that biweekly visits by NHELC students began in January of 2023 and became weekly in September of that year. She noted that GSV residents who participated in the Aug. 1 visit included independent living and Day Break adult day services participants. "We alternate meeting locations to connect as many persons as possible (with the children)," she pointed out.

About 100 area children receive services from NHELC, a ministry of New Holland Mennonite Church. More information about the organization may be found at http://www.newhollandmc.org.

GSV is a continuing care retirement facility, located on 220 acres in New Holland. More information about the many services the organization offers to those age 55 and over may be found at http://www.gardenspotvillage.org.