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althoff, mater dei join forces for senior service at psop

Story and photos by LIZ QUIRIN
Messenger editor

High school seniors at Althoff Catholic High School in Belleville and Mater Dei Catholic High School in Breese have just completed their annual senior service projects.
This is a time when all seniors take a three-week hiatus from high school to go out into local, regional, national and sometimes international communities to serve others.

Sometimes they pick up hammers and brooms to assist with building projects; and other times they turn to elementary schools to work with younger children.
Five seniors decided to volunteer at Programs and Services for Older Persons (PSOP) in Belleville.
It was an eye-opening experience for all of them — four from Althoff and one from Mater Dei.

Amanda Tepen said she decided to volunteer at PSOP because she “wanted a different experience; I wanted to interact with seniors and learn from them.”

What did she learn? According to her: “a lot.” A World War II veteran talked to the young people, making something they learned in history real, not just pictures and words in a book.

The young people also learned seniors don’t just sit around watching television or staring into space all day long.
“I learned to do line dancing,” said Amanda who had no idea what that meant, and she learned to play Euchre, a card game many of the seniors know.

The seniors helped decorate for the Black and White dance and serve the lunch.
“I was pleasantly surprised,” Molly Schubert of Althoff said. “They have so manyactivities; I’m glad I could be a part of it. The time went by quickly.”

PSOP assistant director, Sharon Hamilton, said she believes it is good for young people to interact with the “seniors.”
Hamilton said it’s good for young people to see a variety of older adults and realize “they’re not all the same.”
Some have health issues, and some do not; some are rich, others poor.

Hamilton also said it’s good for senior adults to have young people around, to share their energy for life.
“It’s mutually beneficial,” Hamilton said.

Seniors at Gibault Catholic High School in Waterloo traditionally do their service projects later in the year.