Handmade From the Heart: GTCC Students Make Valentine’s Day Cards for Senior Citizens

Students representing GTCC’s Communications Club, Spanish Club, and Healthcare Office Administration Club display the Valentine’s Day cards they made for local senior citizens.

Valentine’s Day celebrates love, but for senior citizens, the holiday can be bittersweet as they remember the loved ones they’ve lost. Students at Guilford Technical Community College hope to change that for residents at a senior living community in the area.

The college’s Communications, Healthcare Office Administration, and Spanish Clubs gathered earlier this week to make 130 cards to give to senior citizens at The Stratford, a retirement community in High Point. The handmade cards are embellished with hearts and include uplifting messages from the students.

“I enjoy volunteering and this is going toward a good cause. Seniors are often forgotten. I have the opportunity to put a smile on someone’s face and it didn’t cost me anything but time,” shared Terrie Grooms, a student at GTCC.

GTCC’s Communications Club took on the cause as part of a community service project. The club adopts a project each semester and this marks the second year the club has made Valentine’s Day cards for seniors. 

“Many people associate Valentine’s Day with a romantic holiday. This community service project offers a different twist on the day,” shared GTCC Communications Instructor Amanda Melniczek and faculty advisor for the Communications Club. “Our focus is on making people happy.”

 For GTCC student Molly Beard, the cause is a personal one. Her grandmother is a resident of the community and suffers from dementia. During her weekly visits with her grandmother, Molly says she notices residents who long for interaction and conversation.

“A lot of them don’t have families,” she shared. “It’s important to tell people that you love them, to sit down and have a conversation. The cards are a way to initiate that and make someone’s day.”

Beard, who also serves as the community service organizer for the Communications Club, says several students from GTCC will participate in a card exchange on Valentine’s Day with the residents at The Stratford.