During the month of February, love was in the air. The weekend prior to Valentine’s Day, LDHS’s National Honor Society (NHS) was enthusiastic to spread kindness in the community with 36 Bags of Love. Twenty-five NHS members met outside of Laurens Memorial Home for the Aged with bags decorated with hearts and filled with kindness—Bags of Love. Bags of Love are an annual NHS tradition, where each gift bag is filled with self-care products, crosswords, word-searches or other fun things for the Memorial Home residents to use. 

The NHS advisor Michele Carroll was excited for the opportunity to give back to the community. 

“I think that senior citizens need our support, and I was very proud that my folks showed up,” Carroll said, “and that [they] spoke to the people, shook hands with them, made them feel like they were important because that’s one of the most important things that we do.”

After the group finished signing cards, they stepped inside the institution and handed out their Bags of Love to the elderly; however, the bags weren’t the only gifts given that day, in return, the NHS members received valuable conversation and friendship. Voices filled the previously silent halls with chatter and expressed gratitude. 

“This was a good way to spend a Sunday, I feel like I did something good,” said Executive NHS Historian senior Jaylan Jones. 

Junior Omariye Thompson agrees, believing that it was wonderful “to see the surprised and enthusiastic faces after we gave them the bags.”

NHS students went home that day knowing they impacted the community for the better.