Harrison County students spread kindness and cheer with valentines delivery to area seniors

GULFPORT, Miss. (WLOX) - Harrison County students made a surprise visit to a senior living facility in Gulfport.

On a day filled with love, it’s easy to feel lonely, especially for seniors living in a care facility.

“Some of them don’t have families to come in or their loved ones, or their spouses are gone,” said Stephanie Dill, healthcare coordinator at Summerfield Senior Living. “That’s why they’re here; most of them are by themselves.”

“I have one daughter that lives here in Gulfport, a son-in-law and a grandson,” said Resident Jean Fedoroff. “That’s all the family I have here.”

With that in mind, students from the Harrison County Career & Technical Center put together Valentine’s day gifts and made a surprise visit to the residents at Summerfield Senior Living.

“Valentine’s Day, it’s a really underappreciated holiday. We wanted to give back to the community, and it’s really exciting seeing all their smiling faces when we give them the bags,” said student Riley Peleaz.

Peleaz is a 10th grader at Harrison Central, and she’s proud to see the impact she’s made on these seniors’ lives.

“It’s a really heartwarming feeling knowing how we can make their day better,” she said.

Summerfield residents weren’t quite sure what was going on when they were called into the main hall.

“We’re just like, ‘ok, what’s going on? What did we do?’ And then they brought us these wonderful gift bags for Valentine’s Day,” Fedoroff said.

To see teenagers caring so much and bringing joy to the senior home means a lot to the residents.

“Oh, I think it’s great. It’s great. It kinda brings back some of your youth,” Fedoroff said. “And they’re just wonderful kids. Really, all very pleasant.”

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