This was going to be a story about the Social Workers United student group from Falk College and how it once again organized an event to benefit the Syracuse community.
And it still is.
But if you dig a little deeper, this story is much more than that.
It’s about how these students “continue to exemplify the values of social work: service, commitment to clients, and social justice,” says Jennifer Genovese, School of Social Work assistant teaching professor and Master of Social Work Program director who oversees Social Workers United (SWU).
It’s about a woman named Dolly, a resident of Brookdale Summerfield Senior Living in Syracuse who, before SWU students came to visit Feb. 13, hadn’t celebrated Valentine’s Day since her husband died.
And it’s about the kindness that Dolly showed her students as a teacher years ago, the kindness that SWU students showed Dolly and her friends Feb. 13, and the hope that even with the politics, wars, and mass shootings that dominate our headlines today, kindness is still all around us.
“We are so proud of our future social workers,” Genovese says. “They are shining a light toward a brighter future.”
‘An Amazing Group’
Social Workers United is the student group of the School of Social Work at the Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics. Each semester, the students organize a food or clothing drive, and this past fall they collected food for the Hendricks Chapel Food Pantry that helps students experiencing food insecurity.
Faculty advisors Nadaya Brantley, Kristen Esposito, and Genovese advise and support the SWU students as they develop service projects, but the students lead the projects. For their first project of the spring semester, the students arranged a Valentine’s Day event for the residents of Brookdale Summerfield, an adult home and adult home memory care community for seniors.
On Feb. 13, the SWU students delivered handmade Valentine’s Day cards with personal messages, heart-shaped donuts, and balloons to the Brookdale residents, who were already celebrating Mardi Gras. SWU’s arrival added a boost to the celebration.
“The Valentine’s were collected in the Social Work office, and I really thought one student, (SWU president) Mary Claytor, was just going to drop them off at Brookdale,” Genovese says. “I had no idea the entire group of students was going and bringing balloons and donuts. The students organized all of this and paid for it themselves as SWU does not receive funding. They are an amazing group!”
Claytor, a first-year graduate student and graduate assistant who’s on track to obtain a master’s degree in social work, says when the students arrived, each one went to a different table to deliver their cards and engage in conversations. It didn’t take long before one of the residents shared a story about receiving two purple hearts from his service in World War II.
“There were so many incredible stories and lots of laughter,” says Claytor, who’s from Denver, Colorado. “Some folks were so surprised that we would dedicate time to them and asked for us to come back soon! It was a great experience, and we were happy to do something special for a group of people who did not expect to be celebrated.”
‘A Calling to Help’
Keianah Greene, a graduate student in the Masters of Clinical Social Work Program, entered the room with the other SWU students and went to a table where she met Dolly and her friends. Dolly said she hadn’t celebrated Valentine’s Day since her husband passed, but when she learned the students were coming, she wanted to attend and learn more about them.
Greene, who’s from the Bronx, New York, and now lives in Syracuse, explained why she wants to be a social worker and they talked about family and how important it is to be loving, kind, and optimistic despite our daily struggles.
“Dolly mentioned that she was a middle school teacher in Birmingham, Alabama, and that her mother had told her at an early age that she had a calling to help people,” Greene says. “She also mentioned the number of children she worked with and how they used school as an escape from problems they were having at home. So she always made sure to bring extra supplies for her classroom such as clothing, snacks, and other necessities.”
Dolly told Greene that caring for others is fulfilling, but making sure that all the children in her classroom were included was challenging. Dolly emphasized the value of support systems and self-care for social workers and other caregivers.
“You can’t care for anyone if you don’t take care of yourself first,” Dolly told Greene.
As Greene was saying goodbye, Dolly told her that on this Valentine’s Day, she felt like she was reunited with her husband.
“She was happy to say that she knew this was her husband’s sign to come meet us (the students), and that our heart-to-heart conversation meant a lot,” Greene says. “I’m glad that I was able to learn from her and also spread the love.”
‘Brightens Their Day’
During their visit, Claytor spoke with Brookdale’s activities director about other ways the students might be able to get involved with the residents.
They discussed Brookdale’s game-and-movie nights, which would be an opportunity for students to engage with residents in a fun way. They talked about students helping the residents start a new garden with flowers, fruits, and vegetables when the weather gets warmer.
Claytor assured the director that the students would be happy to help in any way possible.
“During our conversation, she mentioned that the residents often feel forgotten,” Claytor says. “They miss socializing with new people and having stimulating conversations about the future. She explained that it really brightens their day when visitors come to see them, especially students.”
Kindness, it seems, is not a relic of the past that’s being thrown out with landline telephones, DVDs, and alarm clocks. It’s all around us; we just have to know where to look.