Veterans Day is held each year on November 11, and it’s a time to thank all of those who honorably served in the military. Buckner Villas, a faith-based nonprofit senior living community in North Austin, recognized our nation’s heroes during its Veterans Day program on Monday, November 11 at 10 a.m. To show their support and give thanks to servicemen and women, students at nearby Graham Elementary School wrote thank-you letters for veterans who live at Buckner Villas. The students hand delivered the letters to the community during its Veterans Day program. The sweet gesture was a surprise to the more than 50 veterans who call the community home. This is the second year in a row the school has collaborated with Buckner Villas to surprise its veterans in a meaningful way.
"We are honored to have our students write thank-you letters for veterans who live at Buckner Villas,” said Ercilia Paredes, principal at Graham Elementary School. “The letter writing activity teaches the students the importance of preserving history and honoring veterans for their sacrifice, and it shows the veterans that younger generations appreciate their service. We have more than 40 students who participated in the letter writing activity. We can’t thank Buckner Villas enough for allowing our students to attend their Veterans Day program. It was a special day for Graham Elementary students and seniors at Buckner Villas.”
Graham Elementary School is conveniently located next to Buckner Villas, and it allows seniors to benefit by interacting with the children. Intergenerational activities provide many benefits to seniors, including improving their physical and mental health. The children also value the connection with the older generation and truly benefit from the relationships with the seniors. This is yet another example of the growing collaboration between Buckner Villas and Graham Elementary school.
“We were delighted to have the students come back and surprise the veterans at Buckner Villas,” said Janet Burnett, life enrichment coordinator at Buckner Villas. “It was an inspiring thing to see last year, and I know with even more students participating this year that it left more veterans with smiles on their faces. The sweet decorations and meaningful words these young children use to thank the veterans is remarkable. Not only are the veterans touched by the messages, but the students are as well. We work hard to inspire happiness each and every day at Buckner Villas, and I know this event had a lasting impact on everyone involved.”