Cadets from The Citadel Bring Joy to Kempton Senior Living Community through Intergenerational Visits

Cadets from The Citadel Visit Kempton Senior Living Community

In a heartwarming display of community service, cadets from The Citadel, a prestigious military academy in Charleston, South Carolina, have recently begun visiting residents of Kempton Senior Living Community, helping to foster unique intergenerational connections and ignite joy among the residents.

Nurturing Intergenerational Connections

The cadets, in their noteworthy visits, not only contribute to serving their community by regularly spending time with the seniors at Kempton, but they also help to bridge a generational gap among the community. Activities such as door-to-door visits, engaging in board games, going for walks, or merely participating in stimulating conversations make up the main agenda of these regular visits.

The Impact of The Cadets’ Initiatives

Ben Moise, an 81-year-old Kempton resident and Citadel alumnus from 1961, expressed with heartening sincerity the profound significance these visits hold for him. He cited the joy of reliving his Citadel days through his chats with the cadets, stating that the meetings brought him much-needed company and excitement during otherwise monotonous afternoons.

The staff of Kempton have also noticed a positive shift in the residents’ mental and emotional state post the cadets’ visits. Lindsay French, Kempton’s Executive Director, opined that interacting with the younger generation instilled in the residents a sense of being valued. She further stressed the vital role the orchestrated meetings have played in bringing a necessary shift in the seniors’ social engagement statuses, which experienced a downturn amid the pandemic.

Substantiating French’s observations, Kempton Sales Director Lisa McLeod elucidated how the residents cherish the opportunity to share their life experiences and hear about the cadets’ reasons for choosing The Citadel as their educational institute. She emphasized that many of these seniors lack family in the immediate area, making these interactions all the more meaningful.

The Benefits for The Cadets

On the other side of this equation, cadets too, have derived substantial mutual benefit from their Kempton visits. Sophomore cadets Kanyia Purefoy and Zoey Ellison, for instance, embarked on this journey anticipating practical experience for their respective fields of biology and nursing. However, they quickly found themselves developing a deeper connection with the residents, which exceeded their initial expectations.

According to Purefoy, the sheer joy of spending time chatting with the residents presents a humbling and rewarding experience. Ellison echoed the sentiment, noting the heartwarming nature of their interactions, which has motivated them to continue their service at Kempton beyond merely earning community service hours.

Leadership from The Citadel expressed delight with the profound impact this initiative has had on both the cadets and the Kempton residents. They express optimism for the continuation of this mutually beneficial partnership, hoping that it will engrain a lifelong service spirit in the cadets and an unending source of joy for the Kempton residents.

Underscoring this sentiment, a hopeful Ben Moise expressed his desire for these visits to continue, stating that he believes such engagements would greatly enrich both the residents’ lives and the cadets’ outlook on service and community.