It was all smiles and excitement at the Bella Vista Nursing home when a handful of young boys arrived at the nursing home.
Pharmacist and parent at Marist College Eastwood, Silvana Gittani, had planned to “spoil” the residents during a regular healthcare visit to the facility and was overwhelmed when her son and a group of his school friends offered to help.
Ms Gittani says; “When these boys heard they just came. No song or dance, no ifs or buts, they just came. They brought their cameras and smiles and they spent the whole day at the facility. The boys took professional photos of the residents, they gave the ladies (and men) hand massages and had a chat. Patrick played the piano while the residents sang and basically made them feel like a million dollars.” So, why would a group of teenage boys give up time on their school holidays to spend at a nursing home? “It feels good to help others and besides, they had some great stories to tell”, comments Patrick. “One lady was talking to us in Italian, telling us of the places we should visit in Italy and another was telling us how she grew up on a farm with eleven siblings.”
In a letter to Silvana Rossetti, Marist College Eastwood Principal, Ms Gittani said; “I struggle to explain how it felt watching these boys do their thing. They didn’t ask for a single thing and it was all volunteer work. I had asked so many people to help us and everyone said no!! The thing is, I didn’t ask these boys. They merely heard about it and just showed up. All from your College! All Marist boys!! Goosebumps!! I really wanted you to see what I saw and the Marist spirit shining through, without any expectation of any reward. Just pure kindness. Well done!!”
Ms Rossetti comments; “I was very happy and proud to have received this letter. It’s truly heartwarming to witness our boys living out their faith – selflessly giving their time to uplift others and setting a powerful example for all to follow. Moments like these affirm our mission at Marist College Eastwood: to nurture young people who are not only good Christians, grounded in faith and compassion, but also good citizens who contribute positively to their communities.”