Middle school students in the Susquehanna Valley School District host their annual holiday luncheon for local senior citizens.

The holiday luncheon at Richard T. Stank Middle School is an over 45-year tradition, bringing together students and the community's senior citizens for a festive gathering.

Student Council Advisor Teresa Steflik said, "What we like to do is have students come in and volunteer as leaders in our school. They get an opportunity to socialize with the senior citizens of the community. They get to sit down. We serve them and clean-up."

Over 90 seniors purchased tickets for the luncheon to support student groups in the school, and 23 students representing the junior national honor society, student council, and peer leaders volunteered to serve food.

The seniors were treated to a traditional dinner accompanied by a show from the middle school chorus.

Steflik says, "We encourage them to volunteer to step up, to take these kind of roles, because it's important to to give back to the community. We want them to be able to know how to interact with other people in ways that are not just academic." 

The luncheon allows students to give back to the community and treat seniors to a holiday meal.

"We love doing this every year because it's our way of connecting with the senior citizens in our community. So they get to see their grandkids or other family members or children that they know that they've grown up with. And of course, I get to see them perform, but they all do that. So I interact with them in a way that's not, you know, traditional way," says Steflik.