Briarcliff Manor – Dec. 4, 2009 - Residents at Elant at Brandywine were gifted with early holiday cheer Tues., Dec. 2 when 50 students from the Roaring Brook Elementary School in Chappaqua visited. The children, ranging from five to nine years old, lined up to sing carols and then passed out Christmas card to each Brandywine resident.

During their visit, each of the children introduced themselves and gave a brief explanation of what they enjoyed best about the holidays. The answers ran the gamut, from the more heart-warming reasons like family time, decorating, and caroling (prompting “awwww”s from the residents) to the more self-serving, like sleeping late, no school, and presents (earning hearty laughs).

“This was their first visit, and the kids really enjoyed it; they talked about it the whole way back,” said Sheila Schneiderman, who runs a committee called “Seasons of Giving,” which organizes community service-related projects for the kids. “We all felt so good to see the residents singing and clapping along.”

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Elant, Inc., a community-based, not-for-profit organization, is a leading provider of services for older adults and chronically ill people of all ages. Elant is a comprehensive network of organizations that provides a full range of health and housing services to the Hudson Valley and beyond. On any given day, Elant serves more than 3,500 people through its network of communities, home care agencies, and services. Elant’s mission is to provide personalized, high-quality care and lifestyle options to persons of diverse generations, cultures, and needs.