When siblings Nick and Luci Rozzi first walked onto Hastings 1 at St. John’s Home, they were two high school students looking for a way to give back to their community.

Nearly two years later, the siblings have become familiar faces on the floor — and friends to many of the residents who knew them by name, looked forward to their Friday visits, and enjoyed hearing about what was happening in their lives.

Now, as recent high school graduates preparing to leave for college, Nick and Luci are taking with them the memories, perspective, and relationships they built at St. John’s Home. “I’ve always wanted to be a volunteer at a nursing home,” Nick said. “I love to give back to our community. I love connecting with different generations and just learning all the stories, all the wisdom from the residents.”

The siblings began volunteering at St. John’s Home in November 2024. They completed the application together and were placed on Hastings 1, where they quickly settled into a routine. They visited nearly every Friday after school, time that became something both siblings looked forward to at the end of each week.

Their afternoons would begin with ice cream and conversation before they headed upstairs to participate in bingo, play games, or simply sit and catch up with residents and talk about their week. They also made a point of visiting residents who had more difficulty getting out of bed, ensuring everyone felt seen and included.

“We love just hanging out with the residents here, and I think that they love spending time with us, too,” Luci said.

For Nick, those visits took on an even greater meaning because of his interest in loneliness among older adults, giving him an opportunity to explore an issue he was also seeing firsthand through his volunteer experience. “There’s a very big senior loneliness epidemic in the United States,” Nick said. “I actually wrote my junior year research paper on the effects of senior isolation and loneliness.”

His research gave him a deeper perspective on the importance of simply spending time with residents — whether that meant playing a game, helping with bingo, or sitting down for a conversation.

“I think that Lucy and I did our best to kind of combat that over here,” Nick said.

The siblings also helped with organized activities through the Therapeutic Recreation department. They often provided one-on-one assistance to residents who wanted to participate but needed a little extra help, whether that meant picking up cards or seeing the numbers on their bingo cards.

“We were really there to make sure they had an enjoyable game experience,” Nick said.

Over time, those visits turned personal. The siblings got to know residents individually, learning their names and remembering details about their lives. Eventually these interactions resulted in friendships. One resident in particular, Mary Welles, became someone they especially enjoyed visiting. Luci and Nick would play checkers with her and listen as she shared stories about her childhood, career, husband, and life experiences.

Nick found that those conversations offered more than a view into the past. They gave him a perspective he carries with him today. After sharing stories, Mary would often remind them to enjoy their lives. “Her words really guide me, you know, how I act during the week, how I make choices, how I decide what to do and when to do it,” Nick said.

That exchange of stories and experiences has been at the heart of Nick and Luci’s volunteer experience. Despite the significant age difference between them and the residents, the siblings discovered they had more in common than they ever expected.

Nick connected with resident Bruce Jacobs through their mutual experience as Boy Scouts. Luci found common ground with residents through conversations about nails, hair, clothing, and the everyday details that make up their lives. “They always love when they get their nails and hair done,” Luci said. “They would compliment my outfits, and I would compliment theirs.”

The residents also took an interest in the siblings’ lives. When Nick and Luci attended prom, they stopped by St. John’s, dressed for the occasion to share with the residents. For Luci, moments like that showed how meaningful the relationships had become. “They could think back when they went to prom or when they went to ball, and kind of relive that,” she said. “And they also told us all about how they did it.”

The connections grew naturally. What began as volunteering blossomed into genuine friendship. “When we got here, everybody was super excited to have this new generation of young teenagers to come and talk,” Nick said. “Over time, we really built these relationships with each and every resident.”

That familiarity became evident throughout Hastings 1. When Nick and Luci walk the floor, residents recognize them and greet them with smiles.

JoAnn Lane, a Hastings 1 resident, said she loves seeing young people getting involved in the community, especially with older adults. To her, Nick and Luci are more than volunteers — they are friends. A resident’s family member also shared that their loved one looked forward to the siblings’ visits and often talked about them afterward, sharing what they did together.

Seeing the impact those visits have had on residents was one of the most meaningful parts of volunteering for Nick. He remembers walking into a quiet dining room and watching the mood change as residents saw the siblings.

“They could be completely silent in the dining room, and we’ll walk in, and 10 minutes later, they’ll be erupting in laughter and smiles,” Nick shared.

Luci said the feeling is mutual. “It feels good to be here,” she said. “We’re excited to come here. We love spending time with the residents, and I feel like just getting to know everyone, it just makes our hearts full.”

Their time at St. John’s has also given them experiences they will take into their next chapters. Luci will attend SUNY Fredonia, where she plans to study sports management and play softball. Nick will attend Le Moyne College in Syracuse for its 3+2 physician assistant program.  Volunteering at St. John’s has given Nick valuable perspective and experience working with older adults of different backgrounds and abilities — something he hopes to carry into his future career as a physician assistant.

The experience has also encouraged Nick to find other ways to give back. Through his Boy Scout Eagle Scout project, he helped restore the mini barn and water wheel in the Skalny Courtyard, repairing and repainting the structure and giving it a new life for residents to enjoy.

Now, as they prepare to start college in different directions, they know they will miss their Fridays on Hastings 1. “I’ll definitely think, ‘Oh my gosh, this was me last year,’” Luci said. “Whenever Nick and I are on breaks, we’re going to be here. We’re going to spend time with all of them.”

For Nick, leaving St. John’s is not really goodbye. It is simply the beginning of another chapter—one that will carry the friendships and memories of Hastings 1 with them wherever they go.

“I’ll never forget the impact we made, how we made the residents feel, and how they made us feel,” he said. “It’s just a great community and friendship we’ve cultivated.”