"Memories Matter" at the Field Home and to a Girl Scout

Christina Ruvo, an eighth grade student at Mildred E. Strang Middle School, has been helping seniors enjoy memories at the Field Home Adult Day Care Center as her Girl Scout Silver Award project. Under the guidance of the Field Home’s Adult Day Care Director Samantha D’Avella, Christina planned the scope and details of her project, which requires Girl Scouts to spend 50 hours helping to improve their communities.

The Adult Day Care Center at the Field Home provides high quality nutritional, social and daily living services to seniors who need some assistance, but prefer to continue living at home. Participants enjoy social, intellectual, cultural and educational activities including live entertainment, a daily exercise program, memory enhancement games, outdoor recreation and inter-generational programs.

Christina added to this robust program by working individually with participants in various ways for her project, which she named “Memories Matter.” Starting her work in October 2013, Christina met with the participants numerous times throughout the year to get to know them and to develop interactive activities, which she hoped would spark a memory and start a conversation. Christina’s activities include Where Does This Belong?; Bingo?; Guess Who (with famous old time movie actors); Guess Where? and Fill in the Blank.

“Christina has been so helpful at the Fieldhome,” said Samantha D’Avella, Adult Day Care Director. “Just having her visit all year long has meant so much to the participants. She has come up with great memory and reminiscing games from which they have greatly benefited. We are so thankful to Christina for completing her Girl Scout project with us!”

Christina also created Life Books filled with personal information and memories about the participants lives. She sent families questionnaires and the family provided answers to questions about their birthplaces, siblings, spouses, favorite vacations and more. Families also sent in pictures that Christina included in the Life Books.

The Day Care director asked Christina to create a daily schedule of activities, which she uses every morning to review the day’s events. As part of her project, Christina will share her knowledge and visit the Country House to meet it’s residents and review the interactive activities with them.

“Getting to know all of the Adult Day Care attendees was the best part of the project, because everyone liked the interactive activities I made and everyone was so nice,” Christina said about her project.

The Girl Scout Silver Award is the second highest award in Girl Scouting. It represents a girl’s accomplishments within Girl Scouting and within her community as she works to improve not only her life, but the lives of those around her. The Silver Award is for girls in 7th—8th grade. Under the new requirements, girls are asked to contribute 50 or more hours in a Take Action project that will improve some aspect of their community that they feel passionate about or where they feel they can inspire positive change. Christina has registered more than 50 volunteer hours for her Silver Award project.