Gene Michael Sambrona (Left), Ayen Nicole Mercado (center), Kai Cabaltica (Right). Working the Rose for a Cause booth on November 18.
The room smells faintly of lavender and old books line the walls. Soft voices fill the hallway of St. Therese Assisted Living. For one Lethbridge Polytechnic student, this is where she spends her afternoons: reading, laughing and listening to residents who don’t often have someone to talk to.
Addison Grailing, a Therapeutic Recreation student, says she has always had a passion for helping elders.
“Volunteering and helping them get out and doing activities has really been rewarding for me, because I know that I’m impacting their life positively and helping maintain their mental health.”
For Grailing, the impact is immediate. Each visit begins with familiar smiles and stories that jump decades in a single breath. She adds that the seniors teach her more about patience, gratitude and that the smallest moments often matter the most.
“I know how nice it is to have someone to talk to. And it is nice to see that I am making an impact on these people’s lives while being there for them.”
While Grailing’s volunteer work offers her a personal connection to seniors, other students on campus have found their own way to make an impact.
Ayen Nicole Mercado, a Project Management student, helped set up a booth called Rose for a Cause alongside some of her classmates. This booth was designed not just to raise money, but to raise awareness for the elderly who rely primarily on local organizations for everyday support.
Mercado mentions they specifically chose the Green Acres Foundation and the Lethbridge Senior Citizen Organization, and what they are doing to help this community of seniors.
“All the proceeds will be donated to them, and whatever amount we have in here, we will buy the essential goods they need and donate to them.”
Bright red roses tower on the table, each one symbolizing a small act of kindness toward an elderly person in need, showing how even just a small contribution can make a difference.
Mercado says running this event helps build her skills she has learned in the classroom, “We’re running this event and we’ll see if it’s successful or not by applying all of the lessons we have learned in our courses.”
What started as a classroom requirement slowly turned into a meaningful effort to uplift elders who rarely receive this kind of attention.
For both Grailing and the Rose for a Cause team, the work may look different, but the message is the same. Supporting elders requires more than sympathy; it requires action. Whether it is from offering a few minutes of conversation and connection or organizing an event that helps to provide the essentials they need.
The takeaway for the students goes beyond the grades and volunteer hours; they are bridging a gap that too often goes unnoticed. Their stories are what it means to care, to notice and to give back to those who have shaped the world they are inheriting.
Together, their actions serve as a reminder that meaningful change often begins with simple gestures of care. By showing up, listening, and creating opportunities for seniors to feel valued.
These students are helping build a more connected and compassionate community, one where elders are not forgotten, but uplifted through genuine and personal connections.
