Torrey Pines student leads Birthday Tote Bags for Seniors project

In a “heartwarming” effort to bring cheer to seniors living with dementia, Ocean Air students recently participated in the Birthday Tote Bags for Seniors Project led by Torrey Pines High School freshman Arthur Wang. The students created sweet birthday artwork that will be printed on 100 tote bags and donated to Alzheimer’s San Diego.

Arthur is the president of the ForSocialGoods club at Torrey Pines. The club takes a hands-on approach on a variety of community service projects, including a dental care product drive for kids in need earlier this year. To fund the tote bag project, Arthur secured a $500 Hershey Heartwarming Young Hero grant.

Before designing the tote bags, Ocean Air fifth graders learned about Alzheimer’s disease and its impact on seniors and their families. They then wrote birthday notes on cards and created drawings with kindness: “My grandpa’s friend has Alzheimer’s disease, and I connect to this project very well,” one student shared.

“I really liked doing this project,” Arthur said. “Helping people, especially seniors, is a great way to support their families and everyone else in the community.”

In a post-project survey, 86% of the fifth graders said they would love to be involved in similar projects in the future. ForSocialGoods plans to continue raising awareness for Alzheimer’s disease and creating more opportunities for students to engage in community service projects.

To learn more about Arthur’s club, visit forsocialgoods.wixsite.com/for-social-good.