The Greatest Gift of GlamourGals

Ashlyn D, Vice President of Bay Port High School, reflects on how GlamourGals gave her encouragement she needed to rebuild intergenerational relationships in her life.

I first joined GlamourGals as a freshman thinking that GlamourGals was simply volunteering. What I didn't realize was the relationships that I would build with the residents and my own family. As Vice President I've worked extremely hard to expand and organize my chapter. We created the most cards for both the winter and Valentines campaign, and we were rewarded with a Zoom call with Rachel Doyle. One moment that really stayed with me was during a routine visit; a newer resident who I hadn't met before wanted her nails painted. She was initially very quiet but as I began painting her nails she started to open up. Before I knew it we were sharing stories about our crazy relatives and bonding over pottery. By the end, she was smiling, laughing, and didn’t want me to leave.

But the biggest impact that GlamourGals has had on me is the relationship that I've built with my grandma. As a freshman, talking to people who weren't my age terrified me. But just simply chitchatting with the residents helped me build my confidence, and when I finally got my license one of the first places I went was to take my grandma out to lunch. I started putting more effort into my relationship with her, and now those memories mean everything to me.