Jacquie Cupich, a retired kindergarten teacher and cancer fighter, found A Little Help online right before the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The simple gestures just mean a lot, and the little actions. Because caring is action,” Cupich said.

A Little Help is a nonprofit organization based in Denver that began in 2005.

Members of the Washington Park neighborhood saw a need for older adult care and companionship and joined with Village to Village to bring that to life.

The organization now serves over 3,000 older adults in Colorado.

ALH officials recently had to put those requesting volunteers on a waitlist for the first time in more than 20 years, according to the organization’s website.

ALH receives operating money from grants, government funds and private donors.

Anyone can volunteer with ALH, though the organization often partners with schools to involve youth in their communities.

This partnership is through Ditch the Desk, which organizes “one-time service days and also, longer semester or yearlong initiatives that connect students with our older adults,” ALH spokesperson Walker Shumock-Bailey told The Denver Gazette.

Older adult Cupich received help from Rock Canyon High School students with yard work and other home maintenance needs. When COVID hit, A Little Help had to pause.

During this time, A Little Help students delivered “kindness bags” to the older adults they could no longer help in person.

“It was sweet. They would have groups that would drop a bag at your door and there would be fun little things and it would just pick you up and bring a little bit of joy,” Cupich said.

When in-person help resumed, Cupich was visited by two high school girls every week. They helped with everything from housekeeping to organizing her craft supplies, all while building friendships.

The help was not just for Cupich, though.

“I always wanted them to come into the house when they first got here, sit down and take a breath. I wanted to let them know that they were seen and heard by me and that they do have value,” Cupich said. “Right now, I believe teenagers are really struggling. So, I wanted to pour into their lives some encouragement.”

Cupich was especially touched by the initiative teenagers took to know her deeply and give their time wholeheartedly despite busy schedules.

“They were carrying a big load and involved in lots of different things, and they still took the time to pour into my life and for me to pour into theirs and we built a relationship and they knew it was a safe place,” she said.

Beyond the designated A Little Help hours, Cupich even went to her students’ graduation parties and a couple of students took down her Christmas lights.

Cupich also remarked that her view of teenagers changed through the program.

“I’m encouraged that our country is in good hands for the future because we have some really awesome teenagers doing amazing things,” she said.

She also learned something about herself.

“Even though physically, I can’t do the things I used to do, I still have something to offer to this world and a legacy to leave.”

Cupich said that the program taught the youth that older adults are just regular people and friendship can extend throughout different generations.

“Our teenagers are really like gems,” she said. “They should be valued, encouraged and polished.”

Another older adult, Kay Ambrose, spoke to The Denver Gazette about her experience with A Little Help.

After a 2017 stroke, Ambrose sought out the program after a recommendation from a friend.

“It’s been a lot more than a little help,” she said.

Ambrose received help from Graland Country Day School seventh graders with chores in her home.

“They would get excited about raking leaves and doing other chores,” she said. The students even bought her gifts and cared for her dog, Patches.

Ambrose reflected that the students were “perceptive, intelligent and very helpful.” She gained a renewed hope in young people.

The relationship made both parties feel seen.

“They knew how to ask good questions, and I would teach some of them piano,” she said.

The Denver Gazette spoke with a student volunteer at A Little Help. During her senior year of high school, Asmi Patil volunteered with the organization and put in 100 hours.

The opportunity was part of a senior capstone class, though the requirement was only 50 hours.

Patil was assigned to help a couple in their 80s, Hans and Yasue, with household chores. Every Thursday morning, she and another classmate would vacuum, mop and dust for the couple. Then, the four would cook French toast together and tell stories about their lives.

The older couple especially impacted Patil in relation to her career goals. After telling Yasue about her dreams to become a pilot and eventually go to outer space, Yasue said: “You tell us when you go to space and we will watch the news and cheer you on.”

The two age groups were able to teach one another valuable truths.

“I always had a respect for older adults, but Hans and Yasue helped me gain a stronger compassion and understanding, too,” Patil said.

As both the student and the couple immigrated to the U.S., they were able to understand each other in a unique way.

“We learned a lot about how things have progressed and we were able to bond over our experiences,” she said. “I will never forget Hans and Yasue and the countless lessons and stories they shared with us.”

Cupich, Ambrose and Patil all recommended A Little Help to students and older adults alike.

To learn more about the organization or sign up to volunteer, visit A Little Help.