Young and young-at-heart connect at Legacy Village
By Celeste McNeil; photos courtesy of Emily Johnson
High school servers do more than deliver food and drinks to Legacy Village residents, they take the time to visit and connect.
Like any home, the dining room at Legacy Village is about socialization, connection and food. It’s where high school student servers and Legacy Village residents converse and connect. Legacy Village hires several teenagers to serve and assist residents in the dining room. Rock Canyon High School junior Emily Johnson has been serving food and drinks to the young-at-heart residents for nearly a year.
Johnson and her fellow servers take the time to visit with residents one-on-one. “My favorite aspect of my job is being able to bond and talk with the residents,” said Johnson. “It’s really nice to be able to have such a good connection with them.” The conversations add extra enjoyment to mealtime for the residents too.
The connection between teenage servers and residents was critical during the past year and a half. Pandemic restrictions and lock downs severely limited residents socializing and their ability to connect with anyone. “Residents really enjoy being served by high school students. Especially during the pandemic, the student servers were really some of the only people the residents would see, and they really enjoy having a good bond with high school students,” said Johnson.
The job can get a little stressful when the dining room is busy, but the teenage servers enjoy working together and have a good time. The enjoyment extends to interactions with residents too, as everyone takes the time to engage and learn about each other’s lives. “The residents like to talk to us about our school classes, our summer activities and our extracurriculars,” said Johnson.
Meaningful conversation, connection and camaraderie happens everyday at Legacy Village, as teenagers and residents fill bellies and feed souls.
