Students, senior citizens enjoy a magical evening

Students from Bond Hill Academy, Carson School and Hays-Porter School and their senior-citizen pen pals gathered Thursday, Nov. 14, 2013, for an evening of entertainment, storytelling and a formal dinner as part of FamiliesFORWARD’s “The Gifts We Share” program. (Click here to see a photo gallery)

The Gifts We Share, now in its 17th year, matches children and their elders in a project designed to teach students literacy and to help senior citizens in the community connect with the schools. The partners write letters back and forth and exchange small gifts during the school year, and the seniors can help the students with their schoolwork. Students develop writing and storytelling abilities and also build social skills.

The evening’s keynote speaker, Kimya Moyo, an education consultant who taught for 25 years in Cincinnati Public Schools, said gifts come in all forms—music talent, art talent, writing and athletic ability, for instance.

“We need to allow our children to explore their interests,” she said. “Our communities will improve when we are allowed to use our gifts.”

Drawing on the “Your Gift Works Magic!” theme of the night, she said: “Everyone has a gift. In fact, everyone is a gift. We are all gifts just waiting to be opened. … My message to you is that you identify your gifts so that you can bring magic to the world.”

The dinner, sponsored by The Westin Cincinnati hotel, downtown, drew about 165 students, senior citizens and program supporters. Students were on their best behavior as they put into practice the manners that they learn in the FamiliesFORWARD After-School Program. As part of the entertainment, some students sang, and some read stories. Magician David Hennig also amazed the crowd with some of his illusions.

Paul Abercrumbie, executive director of diversity and community relations at the University of Cincinnati, served as emcee. Deborah Mariner Allsop, executive director/CEO of FamiliesFORWARD, presented the third annual Eula O’Neal Gifts We Share Award to Carolyn Rosewood, a foster grandparent and five-day-a-week classroom volunteer at Hays-Porter School. The award was named for O’Neal, who for more than 50 years volunteered her time at Cincinnati Public Schools, the Urban League, recreation centers, child-care centers, Head Start, the YMCA and other places to help youths. O’Neal died in September 2011.

—Bill Ferguson Jr.