Roots of Connection: SCI LET’s Display of Kindness

When asked what they most enjoyed about the event, one senior remarked, “Socialization.” The senior then explained that they enjoyed “[knowing] that young people are maturing and becoming caring humans. I will need them in the near future, as the ‘world turns.’” 

“I loved hearing stories from the seniors,” shared a student in high school.  

Mary Pettoruto, a teacher at Joyce Middle School, reflected on the joy of witnessing these connections. She enjoyed “Talking to the seniors about their lives [and] seeing former students be kind.” 

One of the standout activities was a display called “Roots of Connection” inspired by Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree. This interactive display encouraged community members to write uplifting and kind messages to Woburn’s seniors. Several contributions were written in several languages, such as Spanish, Haitian-Creole, Khmer, and Mandarin, to reflect the area’s growing cultural diversity. Several of the notes were written days leading up to Kindness Day through the network of SCI’s interns and volunteers in the LET program, which expanded the reach of this Woburn Kindness Day event.