Members of Ecumenical Retirement Community’s Peanut Butter Brigade Pitch in to Help the Surrounding Community
Every Monday at Ecumenical Retirement Community, residents gather around large jars of peanut butter and jelly with a shared goal: making sure people in the Harrisburg area have something to eat.
They call themselves the Peanut Butter Brigade, and the name fits. Elderly independent living residents from different levels of care work together to prepare approximately 150 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches each week for St. Francis Soup Kitchen in Harrisburg. Along with making sandwiches, residents carefully pack lunch bags with side items such as crackers and fruit. Campus drivers deliver the finished lunches every Tuesday morning so the soup kitchen can distribute them to people experiencing homelessness and others who need food assistance.
For the people living here, the project is simple, social and meaningful. Most importantly, it offers something people value at every age: the opportunity to help someone else.
“There are people out there that are hungry, and if this will help, then I’m good,” says one resident. Another puts it even more simply: “I want to help the homeless. Give them something to eat!”
Why does giving back remain important as we age?
The desire to contribute does not end with retirement. People continue to need meaningful roles, connections and opportunities to thrive. In fact, research from Mather Institute has linked volunteering among older adults to greater social connection, improved wellbeing and a stronger sense of purpose.
The Peanut Butter Brigade puts those findings into practice. Elderly independent living residents are not simply attending an activity. They have work to do and people are counting on them.
“Purposeful service is very important for our residents,” says Vi Schultz, senior fitness director at Ecumenical Retirement Community and sister community, Country Meadows Retirement Communities. “It helps residents to feel valued, that their work has meaning. They know they are doing something really good, helping people who really need it.”
That sense of purpose can be especially meaningful later in life. Daily schedules and responsibilities may change, but the satisfaction that comes from being useful, contributing to a shared effort and helping another person remains.
How does volunteering create connection for elderly independent living residents?
There is plenty of work happening around the table, but there is also plenty of conversation. Residents make sandwiches, organize supplies, fill bags and work alongside neighbors they may not otherwise see regularly. Some weeks include music. There is usually laughter. Over time, the group has developed its own rhythm.
“They have fun and sometimes we play music,” Vi explains. “Now they are like a well-oiled machine!”
Those connections are another important benefit of volunteering for elderly independent living residents. Working toward a common goal gives people a natural reason to talk, cooperate and get to know each other. Instead of gathering simply to socialize, members of The Peanut Butter Brigade build relationships while accomplishing something together.
“We all have a good time!” one resident says.
The project also gives residents with different abilities ways to participate. One person may make sandwiches while another packs crackers, counts supplies or organizes completed lunches. The goal is not for everyone to contribute in exactly the same way, but for everyone who wants to help to have a meaningful role.
How can a simple sandwich make a difference?
A peanut butter and jelly sandwich may seem like a small contribution, but 150 sandwiches every week add up quickly. More importantly, each lunch represents a direct connection between an Ecumenical resident and someone in the community who needs a meal. It’s about being part of something, being part of purpose.
The Peanut Butter Brigade demonstrates that giving back does not have an age limit. It provides our elderly independent living residents with an opportunity to contribute, build friendships and spend time doing something with a clear purpose. They are part of the purpose.
For the people receiving the lunches, it means food and a reminder that someone in the community cares.
“I love doing things like this,” member of the Brigade emphasizes. “This is the best thing I could do all week because it’s for someone else.”
And every Monday, the Peanut Butter Brigade gets back to work, proving that the ability to help others remains meaningful at every stage of life.