THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, August 24, 1996 TAG: 9608260365
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY NANCY LEWIS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: 57 lines
Melvin Elliott might have spent his summer vacation doing just about anything else.
The Norfolk teen could have bided his time surfing and lazing in the sun, glued to the tube or just hangin' out.
Instead, he volunteered to help elderly residents of Norfolk's Sentara Nursing Center, and he thinks it was time well spent.
``I like their smiles, and they can tell you about stuff that happened a long time ago,'' he said Friday as he struggled to steer about two dozen colorful helium balloons through a doorway. The balloons were passed out to young and old campers at the center's daylong intergenerational fun day.
Melvin, who will be a Ruffner Middle School eighth-grader this fall, spent six hours a day, six days a week, at the Sentara Nursing Center this summer. With infinite patience, he played games with the residents, wheeled them outside and brought them their lunch trays.
He got the idea for spending his summer this way after visiting his grandmother in a Chesapeake nursing home.
``He's just a great kid,'' said Deborah Freeman, senior activity director for the center. She was watching Melvin wind up to send a water balloon splatting against the backside of one of the giggling neighborhood kids participating in the afternoon games.
Nursing home residents lined their wheelchairs up under shade trees to watch the kids cavort.
Melvin's ``favorite lady'' agreed with Freeman.
``That's my grandchild, all right,'' said 91-year-old Caddie Nelson. ``He's a sweet child, kisses me good night and good morning each day.''
``I call her `Gramma,' '' Melvin said.
He has gotten so attached to the place that he plans to devote his weekends and after-school time to his friends at the center once he's back in school.
He'll also tutor children of Sentara staffers, too - Jeanette White's 8-year-old son, William, for example.
White said she asked Melvin to help her son in math because Melvin's ``a straight-A student.''
Melvin is the oldest of six. He's being raised by his maternal aunt and uncle, Kevin and Carla Elliott, in the Mayfield section of the city, because his own parents are unable to care for him. His siblings live in the Park Place home of another aunt and uncle, Inez and Raymond Elliott.
Interaction with youngsters of all ages is great for elderly spirits, says Freeman.
Freeman coordinates the one-day Camp Sentara and thinks the concept of getting the young and old together is one whose time has come.
``This way they get to hear the patter of little feet,'' she said. ILLUSTRATION: GARY C. KNAPP photo
Melvin Elliott hands out helium balloons Friday to campers at an
intergenerational fun day at Norfolk's Sentara Nursing Center. He
got the idea for spending his summer helping at the center after
visiting his grandmother in a Chesapeake nursing home.
KEYWORDS: VOLUNTEER NURSING HOME by CNB