PCHS's Warm and Hearty Intergenerational Project
by Dan Mullins
On a crisp, clear winter’s day recently, four students from Pierrefonds Community High School walked to the nearby Marcel Morin Community Centre. The trip was the latest visit in an ongoing commitment to intergenerational volunteering by the school. The activity is overseen by dedicated Planning Room Technician Keith Mills.
“Our role is to come to the Community Center, set up tables and chairs, and then move into the kitchen area and help with the serving of meals to the seniors,” explained Mills. “We serve the meal (it’s usually soup) to the seniors. Then towards the end of the activity, we’re asked to come out and the seniors thank the Riverdale students. And then we just help with the cleanup and return to school.”
As they arrived, a group of about 40 seniors was completing a Zumba session in the large room that would be used as the dining room. They waited patiently until the session ended, and then Mills and the students sprang into action, bringing tables from a storage area and setting them up in the large room, wiping them down, and then quickly moving into the kitchen. There, Kisanya Agagnier, the self-proclaimed “chief chef and bottle-washer” moved one of several large pots of soup from a stove to the serving area.
“Oh, she’s a really good cook,” said student Alex Spata, “Her soups are amazing.”
With several additional volunteers from the community, Kisanya, Mills, and the students began serving the people in the long line that had quickly formed. The meal included chef Kisanya’s soup hearty soup, which for the occasion of the Lunar New Year was a variation on a Chinese soup. It was served with croissants that she purchases as close as possible to serving time, “because I want the freshest,” as she explained, along with a fortune cookie and one or two additional sweets.
“Beautiful, it’s really beautiful,” expressed Vivian, a member of the community centre.
Another community member, Joan MacArthur, who attends the centre every Wednesday with her husband Donald, explained that the students are “…helping, and it’s a really joyful time. They’re very proud of what they’re doing. Mr. Mills is a wonderful person. My grandson went through his program at when it was Riverdale.”
“I love like seeing how grateful people are and the community is brought together, and it’s nice to help out,” said student Maria Makri.
Years ago, following a trip to California with his brother David to learn about working in the community, Mills’ ideas about the value of volunteering and service had become deeply held convictions. The intergenerational volunteering project had been run by he and Spiritual Animator Sandra King at Riverdale, and after the move to PCHS down Pierrefonds Boulevard from their former school, it was important to him that their project continue.
Director of activities for the community centre Rose D’Elia, explained that she coordinates over 65 volunteers who keep activities running, plus various paid teachers. “We’re grateful for the help,” she says.
Volunteers were invited to have a bowl of the soup, and then finished washing up, cleaning the trays, and putting away tables in time for the next activity in the large room: belly dancing.
