By Abby Carella, Staff Reporter

Freshman Olivia Budike recently restarted the Adopt a Grandparent Club at Conestoga. 

She was looking for clubs to join at the beginning of the school year and this club name caught her eye. However, Budike went to sign up and was told it was inactive. So, she took matters into her own hands by gathering a big group of friends and filling out the paperwork to restart the club.

The club members volunteer together at Daylesford Crossing, a senior living community in Paoli. They help out with activities such as bingo night and yoga classes. Volunteers can even do nail manicures for the residents. A few Sundays ago, a group of club members, including Budike, got together to volunteer.

“It was so much fun. I went with 5 or 6 club members. It was probably one of the best days ever. One lady kept yelling at me, jokingly, to play bingo with her. She was loving it. It was so sweet,” Budike said.

It is very easy to volunteer, and Budike suggests signing up. All you have to do is ask for a volunteer sheet.

“I think it is really nice because you get to talk to (the residents at Daylesford) and you get to learn from them, and they also get to learn from you,” Budike said.

She plans to continue volunteering as much as possible and fundraise with bake sales to be able to eventually hold a Senior Prom for the residents. 

Currently, the club has 30 members. They started from zero, are quickly growing, and are always looking for new students to join!

Abby Carella can be reached at [email protected]