Patients at the West Haven Veterans Administration Medical Center had a bit of the Christmas spirit sent their way via city school children
For the third year in a row Seth Haley School students in grades 1-4 made handmade Christmas cards for the veterans. The school social worker, Jamene Farrell, directed this project as she has since its inception.
This year, though there was a change of plan, and it made the effort more local.
Instead of mailing the cards to the Red Cross, the cards were donated to the Veterans Administration Medical Center in West Haven.
“The children were not even aware that we had a VA hospital here, so they were excited about it being kept local,” said Farrell.
She was able to invite Dr. Shaukat Khan from the hospital to come to school in person to pick-up the 350 cards. He held a question-and-answer forum with all 4th graders, who were interested in what he does with the veterans, (he is a psychiatrist), and how do you become a doctor.
“One student wanted to know, ‘How do wars start?’” said Farrell.
A display board of the students waving to the vets and working on their cards was presented to Dr. Khan as well. He distributed the cards to the in-patients, to out-patients, and to a newly formed Veterans Lions Club.
“All veterans were very surprised by the cheerful cards made by such young students,” according to Farrell.