Sarah Schneider, a freshman Criminal Justice major at Michigan State University and member of the Global Young Leaders Network (GYLN), won a $100 mini-grant from GYLN to organize a community service project this semester.

Sarah arrived at MSU with an interest in community service after her high school volunteering efforts with the National Honor Society, and she became involved with GYLN as a way to continue to making an impact in her community. Sarah proposed her project, “Birthday Cheer to Senior Living,” as a way to bring hope, encouragement, and recognition to the residents of The Willows at East Lansing, an assisted living community near MSU's campus.

After researching senior communities, Sarah found that one in three adults aged 50-80 (34%) reported feeling isolated from others, which is a 7% increase from reports of loneliness in 2018, likely due to the increased isolation that occurred during the pandemic. Additionally, Sarah found that in 2023, one in three older adults reported infrequent contact with people from outside their home, meaning they engaged with others only once per week or less.

“Retirement and senior living homes are supposed to give seniors the chance to relax and find peace in their lives, but going through this new stage alone can be tough. This is why I wanted to send cards that would be helpful and uplifting, as a way to assure the seniors living in this community that they are never alone.”

Sarah felt passionately that older individuals should not have to struggle with loneliness and isolation in this way, and set up a meeting with the staff at The Willows to learn what the residents would value most. After hearing that many of the residents did not have loved ones nearby, Sarah determined that something as simple as a card could go a long way to ensure the residents felt remembered and valued by their community.

She decided to further put her creative skills to use by making not only birthday cards, but also felt tie blankets and cards for other occasions, including holidays and sympathy cards, all signed with: “Love, an MSU student.”

Through this experience, Sarah shared that she learned a lot about organizing and facilitating community service projects, including how best to manage and make use of resources, as well as how to craft an effective and persuasive project proposal. In the future, Sarah looks forward to developing similar projects that merge her interests in creativity, community engagement, and criminal justice, as well as pursuing opportunities to learn more about intelligence, security management, and counter-terrorism on the global scale. 

Sarah shared the following advice to other students who are interested in becoming more involved with GYLN and making an impact in their community:

“If you are someone who loves volunteering and connecting with new people, definitely join GYLN! It’s a great way to connect with others and bounce ideas off of like-minded people, as well as pursue projects you are passionate about.”

About GYLN:

GYLN was established in 2014 by the Sunwah Foundation, which has collaborated with GYAN to start a chapter on MSU's campus. Joining a network of ten existing chapters across the globe, GYLN USA is building a community of leaders who are committed to serve, equipped to lead, enterprising in action, and plugged into a network of like-minded individuals who are passionate about social development.

Students belonging to GYLN at MSU have an extraordinary opportunity to travel to international forums as well as plan activities and service projects with financial backing from the Foundation and operational support from chapter coordinators.

Interested in joining? Email gyaninfo(at)msu.edu for more information.