Jessica took the opportunity to address senior citizens’ mental health needs in her community with her Gold Award project. She created an educational brochure on the benefits of visual stimulation for seniors and developed a video and DVD library for the residents of Agape Manor Senior Living Facility. Designed with the help of a volunteer, Jessica’s brochure provides the community with a listing of all the local agencies where senior citizens may obtain assistance. The videos provide entertainment for the residents and their families, and she coordinated with her church’s outreach ministry to continue the program by adding to the library throughout the year. Jessica also arranged for a guest speaker from the Mental Health Center of Madison County to present a program on senior mental health to the residents.
Jessica said, “This experience taught me how to organize a team and delegate tasks to complete a project. I also learned a lot about what goes into the production of an informational brochure.”
Her parents are Robert and Rosemary of Hazel Green. Jessica graduated from Edison Academic Center in Bradenton, Florida, in May 2009. She is currently a freshman at Auburn University.
