Update: The LaVoy Lyrics Chorus returned to school three and one half weeks ago and began rehearsing two weeks ago. To kick-off the fall semester chorus provided a community service to the seniors at Westshore Senior Center on September 5th in celebration of Grandparents Day. The chorus helped select and prepared songs in which the senior citizens could sing along. In addition the chorus sang a selection they are rehearsing for our school Veterans Day program on November 10. For this concert choristers were pleased that, Mr. “B,” a new faculty member at our school, participated in the field trip by accompanying the sing-along concert on his guitar. Funding from the Dosomething.Org Plum Grant made this day very special for approximately fifty-five senior citizens and for our 13-voice chorus. We were able to use the money in many ways. The chorus purchased flowers for the Westshore Senior Center. The leaders club for girls at our school, which includes several chorus members, cut the stems and arranged the flowers in a vase the day before. The art club, under the direction of Holly Loy, our art teacher, created a two-part greeting card and fabric picture frames with magnets, which the choristers presented to the senior citizens as they wished them a happy Grandparents Day. With the grant money the chorus also provided refreshments consisting of an assortment of berries, grapes and melon for the senior citizens. The choristers walked and were pushed on wheel-chaired to and from the Westshore Senior Center. We were going to have a picnic in the Loretta Ingraham Park on the way back to school, but the weather looked like rain. Instead, the chorus enjoyed a picnic in the music room back at school and were treated with bag lunches, fresh melon and oatmeal chocolate chip cookies as they listened to their favorite music. The next day Ms. Adair shared photos from the sing-along concert with our school and with Westshore Senior Center. We are grateful to the Dosomething.org Plum grant for providing a wonderful opportunity for students with moderate to severe disabilities to connect with senior citizens through their music. Furthermore, both groups of individuals will remember this occasion where they were made to feel worthy and appreciated.

Lavoy Lyrics
Number of people in the organization: 50 students helped at our school with making hand-crafted gifts and arranging flowers and 13 choristers
Number of people impacted: 250 including the students at our school and the seniors at Westshore Senior Center.
Describe the impact the grant had: The DoSomething grant affected our organization in that our students now expect to do community service and are eager to go out in the neighborhood, even when it means walking(We have no bus transportation.). PS I will attach photos at home to an email to send because our firewall at school does not allow me to access my album from our performance at Westshore Senior Center.
Project highlights: 1. The relationship between our students with disabilities and the senior citizens has flourished and our choristers are returning there next week to perform again. 2. Our choristers have improved their social skills by interacting with the senior citizens. 3. The project has enabled many of our choristers to step forward and be leaders.
How did the project unfold and develop? Our project began by our students with disabilities needing a purpose in chorus to participate in a community service. Antonisha, a visually impaired chorus member, became leader. The students selected songs to perform as a sing-along and arranged to bring refreshments, gifts and flowers to the seniors at the Westshore Senior Center. Besides our program for the seniors on "Global Youth Service Day," our choristers also performed there in September in honor of "Grandparents Day." For that performance the choristers selected new songs to sing, engaged the audience with a sing-along and by passing out instruments, In addition, the choristers presented the seniors with hand-crafted picture frames, presented them with a bouquet of flowers arranged by our leadership club and brought fresh fruit for refreshments. The senior citizens where elated and overwhelmed. They loved the pictures that we presented in the way of a poster, too.