“Through innovation, enthusiasm, and high expectations, Galloway draws students joyfully into learning and cultivates the intrinsic curiosity and unrepeatable talents of each one,” says the school’s website. In other words, the age 3-grade 12 private school is where students learn to think outside the box!

Now, thanks to Missy Hirsh, Assistant to the College Counselor, Galloway’s students will be thinking inside the box, too this coming fall. They’ll be collecting sweaters to warm-up senior citizens in Fulton County.

Sweaters for Seniors is in its 3rd year, but it’s the first time we’re partnering solely with metro atlanta schools in Gwinnett, DeKalb and Fulton Counties. So, we really appreciate those who have chosen to jump in from the get-go! All proceeds — sweaters and sales from “pin-up sweaters” — will go to senior services in the same county where the school is located.

It’s not as if school administrators and educators don’t have enough to do either. When Missy isn’t helping a student change their schedule, advising a senior on college or a myriad of other duties at Galloway, she’s caring for others, too. Missy often visits her godmother at an assisted living facility in Stone Mountain. (Her godmother is teaching her bridge, they watch NCIS and take walks together.)

Missy’s obvious soft spot in her heart for seniors is one reason why she volunteered to take on “Sweaters for Seniors.” She also said, “This program will give our students an opportunity to think about the needs of seniors in Fulton County.”

According to Steven Hargrove, Director of Events and Marketing at SCS, the donations will come in handy. Senior Citizen Services of metro Atlanta plans to deliver the sweaters collected by the Galloway School with their Thanksgiving Meals On Wheels Atlanta.

3rd Annual Sweaters For Seniors

JC Magill Elementary in Gwinnett County has signed up to be our flagship school. And it looks like CBS Atlanta will be doing a little “Positively Georgia” feature on it too!

Every new or like-new sweater collected at JC Magill will go to Gwinnett County Senior Services. While speaking to Gary Galloway, the volunteer coordinator for GCSS this week at his office, I was reminded how valuable these warm and woolly creations have been the past few years. Gary said we may have even saved a life by providing a sweater to a woman who had no heat in her home.  Can you imagine!

It goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyway! We need more schools to help us out and spread the warmth throughout DeKalb and Fulton County, too. For a Sweaters For Seniors School Activity Kit, please contact  sharna@alternative4seniors.com

The W.O.W.'s hold up a few of the sweaters they gave me last Thursday for Gwinnett County Seniors.

Last February, I met Mary Anne Lamb (shown back row on the left) at Run The Reagan 5K in Snellville, GA.  AHCS had a booth at the race and Mary Anne stopped by. I remember telling her about our “Sweaters For Seniors” program. She told me that her women’s group at Brookwood Baptist might be able to help us collect some sweaters.

Lo and behold! She was right as last Thursday AHCS was invited to the “Girl Friends’” meeting at Mary Anne’s Lawrenceville home.  It was a chilly winter night but you’d hardly know it thanks to the hospitality of these women. Warmly welcoming me in, I was given the floor to discuss our “3rd Annual Sweaters for Seniors” program.

Martha McCance (back row 3rd from left) introduced me to the W.O.W.s and pledged that they’d help next fall. One of my requests is that we get more Gwinnett County Schools involved this year. It seems that K-5 aged kids in particular love to collect sweaters for seniors. Martha explained, “We have some members who work at  Gwinnett County Schools and we’ll ask them to help.”

A huge thanks to Mary Anne, Martha, Lori and the rest of the “GF’s.” (I hear they also help seniors at Sunrise Assisted Living on Five Forks Trickum.) So with all they have on their plates, we appreciate their help with S4S all the more!

Also, on Friday, “Sweaters For Seniors” made the 6 o’clock news! (And 5 AM, noon, 11 PM, too) The sweater drive was featured on CBS Atlanta’s “Good Deeds.” The ongoing segment of anchorperson, Tracye Hutchins highlights unique and giving efforts made in the Atlanta metro area. ”Sweaters” is thankful to have been featured by Ms. Hutchins on “Better Mornings” for the 2nd year. Thank you Tracye, Steve (CBS interview/camera man) and CBS Atlanta for helping us spread the news about “S4S.” Also thanks to Tom Balsamides at Chick-Fil-A on Hwy 124 and Brad Spratte, Hwy 78 for partnering with us on this much needed project for Gwinnett’s aging population. For more information on how Gwinnett Senior Services, helps our community, please click here.

You have to get up pretty early in the morning to know everything Maria Spartis knows. That’s because Maria Spartis is responsible for educating a classroom of 4th graders at the Galloway School in Atlanta. And to help her do that, she watches CBS 46 “Better Mornings” weekday mornings, 5-7 AM before she goes to school.

“I love the variety of things they have because it’s a brief summary of news, weather, local restaurants and events in the city,” Maria explains.

One of the events that caught her attention happened to be our “Sweaters for Seniors” (SFS) program. (As luck would have it, we, Alternative Home Care for Seniors, were invited to “Better Mornings” for an on-air interview with anchorwoman, Tracye Hutchins on Monday, November 17.)

And as further luck would have it, Maria Spartis was watching.

Next thing you know we were at the Galloway school discussing the program with Mrs. Spartis’, Mrs. Saussy’s, Mrs. Dempsey’s and Ms. Giarraputo’s classes. The children gathered around as I displayed our basket of cardigans, v-necks and throws, explaining what I did (marketing for a home care agency) and what we were trying to do (collect sweaters for seniors.)

After some discussion, the 8, 9 and 10 year olds concluded that collecting sweaters for seniors was a worthwhile idea. After all, these sweaters will be going to those in nursing homes who don’t have family and never receive gifts. Hands waved in the air offering multiple suggestions on how to get the sweaters, where the collection boxes should go and who to ask for donations. The class also plans to personalize the donations, time allowing, with hand made cards pinned to the sweaters.

In a few weeks, I’ll return to the Galloway School to pick-up the collected sweaters.

Until then, I want to thank everyone at CBS 46 “Better Mornings” for getting the word out about Sweaters for Seniors. (Chris, Monique, Tracye and the cameraman who showed dorky me how to run a mike through my turtleneck.) And Maria Spartis, 4th Grade teacher at the Galloway School for watching “Better Mornings.” It’s because of Maria’s neverending thirst for knowledge, her passion for sharing ideas with her students and engaging them in new projects, Sweaters for Seniors has a new partner.