SECOND GRADER SHARES ‘LOVE FOR THE COMMUNITY’

A Berthoud second grader has used a class project to spread a little St. Patrick’s Day cheer through Meals on Wheels deliveries Friday.

Oliver Meyers, an 8-year-old who attends Carrie Martin Elementary School in west Loveland, was tasked with helping out in the community in some way. Jennifer Meyers, his mother, said that while he initially wanted to try and do farm work somewhere around him, she had a different idea: adding a craft for Meals on Wheels recipients on St. Patrick’s Day.

“It thought it would be really sweet and cute to make crafts up and then give them to Meals on Wheels,” she said.

Jennifer Meyers said she then reached out to the Meals on Wheels of Loveland and Berthoud where she connected with volunteer specialist Michelle Grady, who said she loved the idea of adding the crafts to the bags.

“We like to give our volunteers a little bit of sunshine on holidays that don’t necessarily mean a lot to a lot of people,” Grady said. “We came up with the idea of doing some shamrocks.”

Oliver Meyers and his mom then got to work, making around 150 paper shamrocks each with different silly faces, some even wearing hats or bow ties. Oliver added a short message on the back, wishing the recipient a happy St. Patrick’s Day.

He also put together a poster board of pictures and writing snippets explaining what he did to present to his class.

The second grader dropped off the shamrock crafts last week, meeting with Grady and getting to see the kitchen that meals are prepared in.

Grady said she thought Oliver was awesome, saying he may be quiet but he “has a heart of gold.”

“He put a lot of heart and love into them, that is for sure,” she said.

Oliver Meyers said that he had fun decorating the shamrocks, was proud of his work and thought getting to see the MOW kitchen was “cool.”

Jennifer Meyers, who has worked with older people in the past, said she knows what even a small gesture like this could mean.

“It is so rewarding to make the elderly happy, and it brightens their day if you give them a little something,” she said. “It just cheers them up a little bit, and it is all good all around.”

Grady added that the meals team likes to share the holiday spirit with people, adding that the drivers bring more than just food, also conversations and connection.

“We service the community, specifically with the homebound … but it is so much more,” she said. “It is love for the community.”

JENNY SPARKS — LOVELAND REPORTER-HERALD Oliver Meyers, 8, shows the poster board he made illustrating the St. Patrick’s Day crafts he made for Meals on Wheels Thursday at his home in Loveland. Meals on Wheels drivers delivered the crafts to clients with their meals to make their holiday brighter.

JENNIFER MEYERS — COURTESY PHOTO Michelle Grady and 8-year-old Oliver Meyers look through his shamrock crafts he made for Meals on Wheels. Jennifer Meyers, Oliver’s mom, said the second grader made around 150 of the crafts.

JENNIFER MEYERS - COURTESY PHOTO Michelle Grady, right, and 8-year-old Oliver Meyers look through his shamrock crafts at Meals on Wheels in Loveland March 7. Meyers said he was proud of the work he did and thought getting to see the MOW kitchen was cool.