From left, Paige Meitrott, Olivia Keszkowski and Emma Fowler celebrate the July Birthday Buddies. The three teens are varsity athletes at Immaculate Heart Academy.
By Carey Reilly
Glen Ridge resident Olivia Keszkowski is bringing some joy to local senior citizens through Birthday Buddies, a volunteer program she created to recognize residents’ birthdays each month.
Keszkowski, a rising senior and varsity basketball player at Immaculate Heart Academy, located in the township of Washington in Bergen County, recently held two Birthday Buddies events at Family of Caring at Montclair.
“I wanted everyone to feel like someone was thinking about them on their birthday,” Keszkowski said.
Keszkowski, who loves to bake, makes a homemade decorated cake for each party. She also creates a coloring sheet listing the names and birthdays of the residents being celebrated that month, which residents can color during the event.
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For the July party, Keszkowski was joined by fellow Immaculate Heart Academy students Emma Fowler, a varsity volleyball player, and Paige Meitrott, a varsity soccer player. The students decorated, served cake, played bingo and visited with residents.
Keszkowski and Fowler returned in August for the next Birthday Buddies event.
“I wanted to come back to celebrate the August birthdays because you could see how happy everyone was to have us there,” Fowler said. “I really liked talking with the residents and hearing about their lives. It didn’t feel like volunteering. It was just fun spending time with them.”
Keszkowski hopes to bring Birthday Buddies to other senior residences and involve more student volunteers.
“I’d love to see it grow,” Keszkowski said.
Photos Courtesy of Carey Reilly
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