Coronavirus News: Long Island students send videos to residents of assisted living facility

Thursday, April 9, 2020

Coronavirus News: LI students send videos to residents of assisted living facility

Lauren Glassberg reports on students from Long Island who are sending video messages to residents at an assisted living facility.

SAYVILLE, Long Island (WABC) -- Students from a school on Long Island are sending video messages to residents at an assisted living facility to let them know they aren't alone during the coronavirus pandemic.

Youngsters from the Lincoln Avenue School in Sayville recorded their messages on iPhones and sent the videos to The Bristal, where residents watched the messages on an internal TV channel, on their personal computers or on their smart phones.

"I think it's very nice, I think people will enjoy it," resident Sophia "Wilma" Erksen said. "Everyone has grandkids and great-grandkids. In fact, it was a little bit of a tear-jerker. It's very sentimental. The kids are cute."

Lincoln Avenue parents say the effort will not only benefit Bristal residents whose family and friends are unable to physically visit them, but it will also enable the students who are taking their classes online to connect with each other through the class project while engaged in an outreach program that safely brings people together in times of a public health crisis.

"You've got people like our age that have grandkids and some have great grandkids, they'll get a kick out of that," resident Edward Nentwich said. "I thought of my granddaughter right away."

The videos were a hit with residents.

"I thought they were very nice," resident Mae Scalia said. "I feel that it gives them something to do and keep them out of trouble and a sense of well being, we're doing something to help someone else. They're interesting to watch...We all have grandchildren, great grandchildren, and we can't see any of them now. So we get to see them, we get to see somebody. And they're upbeat. You turn on the TV, and you don't see much upbeat stuff."