Volunteers spend time with seniors in Longmeadow Jewish nursing home on Christmas Day. Watch video
LONGMEADOW — After picking a lavender colored nail polish, 12-year-old Tzofiya Goldman, carefully painted Shirley Jacobson's nails.
Tzofiya volunteered at the Julian J. Leavitt Family Jewish Nursing Home on Christmas Day in what has become an annual tradition called "“Honorable Menschen Day.” Mensch in Yiddish means honorable or noble.
"I like to help my grandmother with volunteering," said the East Longmeadow resident who celebrates Hanukkah. She decided to spend Christmas visiting with the seniors.
"We have volunteers here every day of the week, " said Sheryl Okun, volunteer coordinator for the nursing home.
She said the bingo games, coffee shop and gift shop at the facility are all staffed by volunteers.
For many of the residents whose family members live far away it is a treat to have visitors, especially children.
"It's nice because we need the help," Jacobson said, after praising Tzofiya for the manicure.
Tzofiya said it's interesting to sit with the seniors and talk to them.
"We do have a lot of children who volunteer as well. We had many children come in today and sign songs and read stories to the seniors," Okun said.
Kathy Shea-Ouimette was an employee at the nursing home until she had to leave to take care of her mother.
"Now I come back to volunteer because I love being around them," she said. "It means a lot to them, but it also means a lot to me to spend time with them, just talking and sharing life experiences."