When Roseau Area Hospital and Homes began offering a volunteer program for young people, no one knew for sure what an impact it eventually would have.
     Today, a small army of happy children have warmed the hearts of many residents at Sheltering Oak Manor and Greenbush Community Nursing Home, and done so with a style only a child can possess.
     Though the organization has had student volunteers in the past, called Candy Stripers, the new Kandy Kids program at Sheltering Oaks Manor has brought in younger student volunteers to meet the residents.
     Started last summer with just four children, the Kandy Kids have flourished, growing to more than 40 enthusiastic young volunteers in less than six months.
     “Response has been just phenomenal,” says Janine Peterson, Volunteer coordinator at RAHH. “We started with the children of a few hospital employees, hoping the idea might catch on. We never dreamed it would take off with this kind of success.”

Felix Gonshorowski and Lillian Pesek listen to volunteers Andrea and Vanessa play piano.

     According to Peterson, interest grew when the first volunteers told their friends at school. Soon she received phone calls from parents, saying their children wanted to be involved.
     “We really have reached our maximum capacity right now, but we are considering a waiting list for future volunteers,” she says. “Young people today are very busy and we do have turnover occasionally due to commitments like school activities and such.”
     During their two-hour visit, the Kandy Kids interact with the nursing home residents, playing games, singing songs, sharing stories, and much more.
     According to Peterson, the children bring an endless supply of fun and entertainment to the residents, who respond favorably to their young visitors.
     “These kids are wonderful,” says Peterson. “They get right in there and interact with the residents like they’ve been doing it for years.”
     A few miles west, residents of Greenbush Community Nursing Home enjoy a similar scenario, where local children make regular visits to see them.
    According to Activities Director Stacy Hahn, the children who visit Greenbush Community Nursing Home are a big hit with residents.
     “I wish we could keep these kids here all day long,” Hahn says. “The impact they have is amazing. They even coax residents out of their rooms for group exercises. They always bring a smile to their faces.”
     Hahn says the volunteers at Greenbush include a wide range of ages, from second-grade school children all the way up to high school students, who make visits to the nursing home as part of their curriculum.

The Kandy Kids work their magic on Sheltering Oaks Manor resident Howard Degerness.

     She says the younger children snuggle up to the residents, reading and visiting with them and sharing their new found knowledge and enthusiasm, while the high school students have formal projects which have helped them form special relationships with the residents.
     Hahn and Peterson agree the children are an invaluable group of volunteers who bring a special joy to the nursing home.
     “They’re all wonderful,” Peterson says. “The best part is they don’t even realize how deeply they touch the residents. They just know it’s a lot of fun.”