Intergenerational exchange brings joy to seniors for Pumpkin Day

Intergenerational exchange brings joy to seniors for Pumpkin Day

Junior High students from O.W. Huth Middle School in Matteson decorate pumpkins for seniors at local senior center and participate in an exercise class.

The National Junior Honor Society of O.W. Huth Middle School in Matteson decorated pumpkins to donate to seniors at the Shirley J. Green Township Senior Center in Park Forest and delivered the pumpkins at the end of October. The students also participated in an exercise class with the seniors.

This is the third year that students have decorated pumpkins for seniors. National Pumpkin Day, a day to celebrate pumpkins, a beloved symbol of the fall, was Saturday, October 26. At Matteson School District 162, the six elementary schools celebrated Pumpkin Day with pumpkin patches at each school along with activities.

Instead of having a pumpkin patch, the older students at Huth decided to bring the joy of Pumpkin Day to seniors in the community.

“It gives our students a chance to not only be a part of Pumpkin Day but to participate in community service,” said Brenda Calvin, Huth’s principal. “And it brings the joy of Pumpkin Day to seniors in our community.”

Student council and National Junior Honor Society students had fun painting the pumpkins for the seniors, Calvin said. And the students said the best part of the day was interacting with the seniors.

“It was really fun,” said Aalisha Shah, 12, a Huth eighth grader. “”I thought people were going to be grumpy but they were joyful and it was actually really fun.”

The exercise part was also harder than expected, said 13-year-old Nosa Salami.

“It was harder than I expected,” said Salami who was encouraged during the class by Velva O’Connor who was sitting next to him.

“I loved it,” O’Connor said. “We were inspiring to them. I enjoyed it to the max.”

Nali Catalan, 13, the president of the Huth NJHS, said that younger students can learn a lot from their elders.

“I think all generations have a lot to learn from the other generations,” Catalan said. “The life experience that elderly people have can be shared with younger people.”

Seniors said the exchange does something for them and the students.

“This event was very nice not only for the seniors but also for the students,” said Ann Baker, who participated in the exercise class. “Hopefully it gives them greater insight into what an older person goes through.”

After the exercise class, seniors were able to pick one of the pumpkins that the students painted.

Mayme Buckley, Director of Senior Services for Rich Township, said the exchange has been a wonderful experience for the seniors who really enjoy the students’ creative designs on the pumpkins.

“It brings a lot of joy and adds to the senior experience here,” Buckley said.


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