TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Children and seniors came together for a special holiday celebration at Park Senior Villas, proving that joy truly has no age limit this Christmas season.
The intergenerational event, organized by Senior Helpers in partnership with Young at Heart Together, brought kids and their "grandfriends" together.
Laughter, music and the smell of fresh cookies filled the air as generations celebrated side by side.
Mark Goldstein, marketing director for Senior Helpers, said the partnership creates meaningful connections during important holidays.
"We partnered with a really wonderful non-profit organization called Young at Heart Together. Their mission is to bring little kids and elderly folks together on holidays like Christmas, Mother's Day, Valentine's Day," Goldstein said.
For the seniors, or "grandfriends," the visits provide much-needed companionship.
"Sometimes it gets very lonely. These little children come and light up our lives," said Vivian Damaris, a grandfriend at the event.
Young visitor Francesca Gamberg said she loves forming connections with the seniors.
"I love getting to know all of the grandfriends and just having a good time together," Gamberg said.
Joanna Wilson-Urbina, director of Young at Heart Together, said the organization focuses on connecting generations through play and art.
"We invite the community, their families to come play and interact with grandfriends. And it's really, truly a magical experience when you get kids and grandfriends together," Wilson-Urbina said.
The simple activities helped spark connections, especially for seniors who often experience social isolation. Goldstein said the interactions provide crucial social engagement for elderly residents.
"They're very interactive with them. You can see them help them color and also decorate cookies, so it's a really wonderful thing. Social engagement, keeping them active and putting a spark in their hearts—is the most important thing," Goldstein said.
Parents say the experience also teaches children valuable lessons in empathy and compassion.
Linda, playgroup leader for Young at Heart Together, said her own kids love visiting Park Senior Villas.
"They look forward to seeing their grandfriends. They're like, 'Why can't we stay here longer?' and stuff like that. And the environment here is like, we're coming to visit grandma, grandpa," Guantes said.
Both organizations hope to continue these events, including plans for Valentine's Day, and encourage the community to get involved in future intergenerational celebrations.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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Jacqueline Aguilar is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9. Born and raised in Yuma, AZ., she is no stranger to the unforgiving Arizona heat. Now this U of A wildcat is excited to be back in Tucson and is looking forward to involving herself in the community. Share your story ideas with Jacqueline by emailing jacqueline.aguilar@kgun9.com or connecting on Facebook, Instagram or X.
