Key Club members gave back to Maple Place AFC and to the community on March 20 when they visited the elderly residents. They went to the home to celebrate with the seniors on the National Day of Happiness and to bring them joy.

“We are volunteering at Maple Place AFC on International Day of Happiness which is March 20 6-8 p.m.. We are going to hang out with the residents at Maple Place,” said Key Club leader Jamie Elrod. “Usually Key Club focuses on events that center around children, but we decided to change it up and visit an old folks home in order to stay connected to all members of our community. I think everyone in key club can all agree that volunteering is what makes us happy and being able to share that happiness is what key club is all about.”

The Key Club members did activities with the senior citizens such as decorating cookies and playing Bingo. They also spent time with them outside of their activities.

“I enjoyed it and I’d even want to go back sometime,” said sophomore Sarah Diziaidizo. “They seemed really excited to have people there to hang out with. It was really fun to talk with the people there and see how much fun they’re having with us there.”

The goal of Key Club was to visit this old folks home and bring happiness to them. Members bonded with some of elderly at the event and brightened their day.

“Being kind and helping others is always a goal of Key Club and it seems to bring joy and happiness to those we help,” said Elrod. “ I think it was so important to visit the elderly on the International day of happiness because many of the residents don’t get a lot of visitors and we thought it would be a great idea to brighten their day by spending time with them with them for a few hours. I think just taking a few hours out of our day and talking and spending time with the elderly meant the world to them. A little kindness can go a long way, and I’m really glad Key Club had the opportunity to share our happiness with our community.”

The National Day of Happiness is a day where members give back to the community on a happy occasion. Key Club members saw the impact on the elders at Maple Place AFC.

“One of the workers said that Betty’s (a women at Maple Place AFC) whole mood changed when we got there and that she was in a better mood because we came,” said sophomore Anna Avendt. “I enjoyed just hanging out with all of the people there playing bingo and getting to know what their lives were like back when they were younger. I’m sure that they were happy about us being there interacting with the people of a younger generation.”

Key Club’s visit to Maple Place AFC was a giveback to the community and had an impact on the National Day of Happiness. Members who join will be a part of events like these and many more. Key Club is a voluntary club and participates in volunteering at multiple events throughout the school year.