Guest Post - "Immaculata Students Make a Lasting Impact"

Please enjoy another Guest Blog Post by the Perley Health Foundation about how Immaculata High School students are helping elevate care at Perley Health.

For the past three years, Grade 10 students from Immaculata High School have brought energy, laughter, and helping hands to Perley Health as part of their "Caring for Others" program. Visiting one afternoon a week throughout their second semester, these students supported the therapeutic recreation staff with a variety of activities that brought joy to seniors and Veterans.

The program, created by teacher Susan Kehoe, is rooted in the belief that caring for others is not only a core value- but a viable career path. Over the course of the school year, students explored various professions in different schools, health centres, nursing homes, and community organizations. Through hands-on experiences like their time at Perley Health, students developed skills, built confidence, and saw how faith and compassion can shape a life's work.

In addition to volunteering their time, the students raised $782 through school dress-down days and other fundraising activities. Their donation to the Perley Health Foundation will support the "Bridging Generations" campaign, helping to build a dedicated intergenerational space at Perley Health where children, seniors, and Veterans can connect, learn, and grow together.

The interactions between the Grade 10 students and Perley Health residents highlighted just how powerful intergenerational connections can be. One particularly heart warming moment came from Ellie, a student whose father is visually impaired. When she learned about a couple at Perley (one living in long-term care and the other, who is blind, living in the Senior Living apartments) she stepped in to help. Drawing on her own experience, Ellie arranged a special Wednesday ice cream “date” for them in the Perley pub. Her compassion helped make their visit both accessible and deeply meaningful.

In moments like this, students don't just witness compassion, they live it. And thanks to Caring for Others, many will carry that experience forward into careers that truly make a difference.

Written by the Perley Health Foundation 
Photo provided by Immaculata High School

Immaculata High School student, Ellie lends a helping hand to Perley resident, Marsha, as part of the Caring For Others program.