Holiday visits have become a rarity for many residents of the A. Holly Patterson Extended Care Facility, in Uniondale, but 20 high school students stopped by on Dec. 10, bringing songs, smiles and conversation to those who often need it most.
The visit, organized by Barton Maxwell, president of the high school’s Parent Teacher Student Association, brought two generations together for a celebration themed “holiday cheer.” Student musicians performed and then stayed to chat with the residents.
“It was so rewarding — they were so happy,” Maxwell said, fighting back tears. “One lady said, ‘I haven’t had a visitor in so long.’ That was the whole purpose. The PT[//S?//]A wanted to bring holiday cheer, and so many people came together just to make sure these people were not forgotten.”
The event was a collaboration between the high school Key Club, which focuses on community service, and the Tri-M Music Honor Society, which performed holiday favorites.
“The students performed classic holiday carols, played instruments, and spent time socializing with residents, creating a lively and uplifting atmosphere throughout the facility,” a news release from A. Holly Patterson stated.
For Maxwell, the project was deeply personal. His mother had spent months moving among hospitals and rehabilitation facilities before she died last year. What stuck with him most, he said, was how many of her roommates never had visitors.
“It troubled me when I would walk into these places and no one received a visitor,” Maxwell said. “And now I thought, there are kids at the high school — why can’t they go and visit some of these people and just say ‘Merry Christmas’?”
Uniondale High senior Amaya Grier, president of the Tri-M chapter, said the idea for the visit started as a conversation about caroling. Some students had considered singing in the neighborhood, but after hearing about A. Holly Patterson from her mother, Ylana Grier —who’s involved with the PTA — Amaya offered to help organize a performance at the facility instead.
Tri-M, which is affiliated with the National Association for Music Education, encourages music leadership and advocacy among teens. Student musicians ranging from vocalists to strings and brass players rehearsed as a group, and Grier who plays trumpet, performed some solo pieces of her own, including “The Christmas Song” and “Christmas Time Is Here.”
“The fact is, when you play music,” she said, “you bring people together.”
Residents were visibly moved by the visit, and shared their appreciation in a Dec. 17 news release.
“I really enjoyed it,” Kathleen Benson, 66, said. “Watching those students put a smile on my face. It was very inspiring, and brought back memories of the holiday time with my family back in the days.”
Dennis Goldstein, 73, president of the Resident Council Board, echoed those sentiments. “The students played and sang with enthusiasm,” Goldstein said. “I enjoyed their performance.”
After the music, students stayed to talk with the residents about their hopes and their college plans. One resident encouraged them not to rush into higher education, saying that, depending on what you want to do in life, you don’t always need college.
One moment that stayed with him, Maxwell said, was watching a student and a resident sitting together “like they had known each other for years.”
“It was somebody different to talk to,” he added. “Not just the same people they see every day.”
Grier described the experience as eye-opening. “I think it was such an important thing, because people don’t care about the elderly until it’s too late,” she said.
“It’s important to give back to the community in that way, where there isn’t even a second thought,” she added. “They deserve to have a good holiday, too.”
Facility administrators were so impressed by the visit that they are already planning to invite the students back two or three times a year, Maxwell said.
Grier already has ideas for upcoming performances — possibly on Valentine’s Day or Juneteenth. Her dream playlist includes Stevie Wonder’s “Isn’t She Lovely” and, for Juneteenth, “Before I Let Go,” by Frankie Beverly and Maze.
“Valentine’s Day is all about a moment of love, and some of the residents don’t get a lot of that,” Grier said. “There are a lot of holiday songs, but most are Christmas songs. Not everyone celebrates Christmas. But love — love is for everyone.”
