Mrs. Debbie Fein's second grade class at Pomperaug Elementary School has performed various activities with an organization called Home-to-Home Foundation. The foundation, formed by pulmonologist Dr. Rich Silverman of Southbury, is dedicated to making the lives of nursing home patients more enjoyable by providing activities and programs for patients in seven area nursing homes that would brighten their day. 

The first act of generosity by the second graders was donating money by contributing ice cream money, chore money and gift money to a class collection jar. They collected almost $200 and felt terrific by giving money from their hearts. The students talked to Dr. Silverman about how the money might be best spent. 

The second activity involved the children's book, Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox.  The story is about a little boy who visits a nursing home and tries to help one of the patients find her memory again by sharing special objects from his life. Mrs. Fein's students each read a page from the book while one of the room parents videotaped it. The video, along with a copy of the book signed by the children, letters from the students and a booklet entitled, "What is a Memory?" was written by the class and will travel from nursing home to nursing home.

The most recent activity the second graders did was to make Valentine’s Day decorations for a tree in the lobby of a local nursing home that gets decorated with a monthly theme. The children made red, pink and white chains, a candy valentine and white doves to decorate the tree. 

The students presented the gifts to Dr. Silverman when he visited the classroom recently. The projects help cheer the patients and help the students learn about giving.