For 18 years, Bessie’s Hope has been bringing generations together in a deeply rewarding way that cultivates mutually beneficial relationships between youth and elders in nursing homes. Thousands of pre-school through high school-age youth, including those from residential treatment centers for trouble teens, have an experience that changes their lives. Compassion, service, and respect for self and others are instilled within them. For the elders, a regained spark of their own self-worth as valuable human beings is ignited, as they share their wisdom and wonderful stories with the youth. This spark is visible in their eyes and heard in their voices. Each Bessie’s Hope group visit, whether with youth or adult volunteers, begins with the lilting “Wonderful Song”. Individual names are used for a few elders, and the song concludes with youth and elders singing to each other “you are wonderful”, or affirming for themselves, “I am wonderful”. The beautiful email below, received from a middle school student, speaks to how infinite the reach and how deep the touch of the Bessie’s Hope work. www.bessieshope.org Dear Founders of Bessie’s Hope, My name is Kate and I am an eighth grader that attends Columbine United Church. Our youth group goes every month with our amazing leader Patty, and participates in Bessie’s Hope. I love it, and am overjoyed to go and spend time with the elders. I was sitting in a park last week drawing and this man jogged by. He was singing The Bessie’s Hope Wonderful Song very loud and I could easily hear it as he passed. I hurried to catch up to him and stopped him and asked where he heard that song. He told me that his father just passed away a few days ago in a nursing home. His father was always singing that song for some reason. Since his father had Alzheimer’s, he was surprised he remembered it every time he visited him. He said that as his father was dying he was singing this song until his last breath. The man said he could not get it out of his mind and would like to know who sang it to his father to thank them. I told him it had to be someone from Bessie’s Hope and explained to him about the program. The man asked me to tell whoever ran Bessie’s Hope thank you for all they did for his dad. Then he just jogged off. I told Patty this today and she gave me your email to tell you what happened to me. So, from the man and from me, I want to say thank you for all Bessie’s Hope has done. You are amazing. Sincerely, Kate