Seeing other communities rally around their seniors, Darcy Harvey decided to follow suit.
The Brownstown Elementary School kindergarten teacher realized how tough it is for the Brownstown Central High School Class of 2020 not being able to go to prom and having its awards day and graduation done virtually because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
She created the Brownstown Seniors 2020 Adoptiongroup on Facebook to give parents an opportunity to post pictures and information about their senior and start the post with “Not adopted.” People who join the group can comment if they want to adopt them, and then the parent can change the start of the post to “Adopted.”
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After obtaining the senior’s address, the person adopting them can then send them a letter, a card, a gift, a gift card, a snack or anything else to lift their spirits.
There is no limit on how many people can adopt one senior.
As of Monday morning, nearly 70 seniors are posted on the page, and all of them have been adopted by at least one person. Harvey said there are about 140 seniors in the class, and any others can be added.
“I would love for this group to be able to reach every senior at BCHS,” Harvey said, noting she hopes the idea spreads to other communities.
“If this encouragement continues to be shared and more people see it, then start it in their own communities, it could have a big impact,” she said. “Health and well-being is more than strictly physical. This Adopt a Senior movement could help us all boost our mental health a little.”
Locally, the idea already has spread. Angie Keasler, a sponsor of the Crothersville High School Class of 2020, simultaneously received an invitation to join Brownstown’s group and a message from a senior parent.
She then created a Facebook group, and as of Monday morning, 13 of the 26 Crothersville seniors are featured on the page.
“I hope that anyone seeing a senior listed on this Facebook group up for adoption will be willing to take some time out of their day to correspond with them,” Keasler said. “To encourage and relay positive feedback to that student would mean the world to them. These are stressful times for us all, and maybe that feedback is just what that particular student needed at the time to feel reassured that everything is going to be OK.”
Brownstown Central
This is only the fourth year for Harvey and her husband, Devin, to live and work in Jackson County.
She said it didn’t take long for them to realize how supportive the community is of each other.
She also said the community showed the same love and support for her and her husband when they arrived, so the senior adoption initiative is an opportunity to give back to the community that adopted them. Devin is the school’s athletic trainer.
“For Devin and I, this group of seniors were freshmen when we moved here,” Darcy said. “We’ve had the privilege of watching them grow the past four years. We have supported them at their games and musical performances. We have watched them become leaders of school organizations, such as FCA. We look forward to the Jackson County Fair every year, where we get to see many of them compete in 4-H.
“Some of these students have volunteered at the elementary school in various ways,” she said. “The elementary students look up to those in high school. Oftentimes, you can see them interact with the younger kids at school events. The elementary kids love to make signs and cheer on their Braves — before games yelling at the top of their lungs and chasing them around after it’s all over.”
When the coronavirus outbreak forced schools to close and change to eLearning and special events were canceled or altered for the seniors, Darcy said it broke her heart.
“I just had my firstborn a month ago, and thinking ahead, these are milestones I picture her having, so it’s tough thinking about the parents today whose kids are missing out on them due to the stay-at-home orders,” she said.
“We just want these kids to feel loved and thank them for their sacrifices they are making to flatten the curve and help everybody stay healthy,” she said. “While they won’t have stories about prom or graduation, they will have a very unique story of their own to tell down the road.”
She hopes the adoption program helps them see in this time of isolation away from their friends, the community continues to rally behind them and lift them up.
“This is tough for all of us, but we’re in it together,” Darcy said. “Many parents have been posting senior pictures with bright, smiling faces. People are reaching out to each other, spreading positivity and hope for the future, making scrolling through the Facebook page very uplifting. May this be a light in the darkness.”
It also is a way for the person adopting them to feel connected to the class.
“As a result of the adoption process, new friendships or mentorships might be made as people see the plans these students have after high school, such as where they expect to attend college and what career they pursue,” Darcy said.
“For example, someone might feel inspired to adopt a senior after they see they have similar interests as a way to give back to their profession or a way to pay homage to the ones who gave to them and helped them get where they are today,” she said. “I also think this will allow senior parents to celebrate their seniors, maybe not the way they had planned, but in a new way.”
Crothersville
Keasler said Crothersville’s adoption program also has no limit on each senior. The more, the merrier, she said.
“My hope is to lift the spirits of these graduates,” she said. “I hope that over the course of the next few days and weeks, these seniors will begin to receive letters, cards and well-wishes letting them know they are on our minds and in our hearts. Letting them know we are thinking about them is the goal of this group.”
Keasler said giving the seniors some recognition will boost their spirits, and the platform allows them to showcase their accomplishments and future plans.
“Over the past weeks, the senior class has given up all the special events and activities that they had been working toward their entire school career,” Keasler said, as the seniors also didn’t get to go on their senior trip to New York City and Washington, D.C.
“Watching firsthand the disappointment has been heartbreaking and discouraging, to say the least,” she said. “We all understand the need for these events to be canceled, but the disappointment is still there. These are those activities where lifelong impressions are made. It’s sad they will not have the opportunity to create those lasting memories.”
She has a unique perspective being both a parent of a senior and a class co-sponsor. Her daughter, Cami, is a member of the class.
“I have been thoroughly impressed by their maturity in regards to handling this pandemic,” Angie said. “Even though there has been disappointment after disappointment for each of them, they have banded together and kept a positive attitude. I believe they have shown real perseverance during these uncertain times, and I am incredibly proud.”
She hopes the adoption program makes an impact on the seniors.
“They’ve had many special events canceled, and this is just a small way to lift their spirits,” she said.
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Find the groups on Facebook
Brownstown Central: Brownstown Seniors 2020 *Adoption*, facebook.com/groups/225211471915583
Crothersville: Adopt a Senior, facebook.com/groups/2071817522965028
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