The kids stood at the apartment of a stranger.
Elizabeth Yauss, who turns 3 this week, banged on the metal door in a Walnut Street building, her light-up sandals glowing red as she hopped from foot to foot.
Brothers Connor, 6, and Andy, 5, clamored for her place as the door eased open.
On Easter Sunday, the Finneytown children had been looking forward to this most of all. More than baskets brimming with plastic grass and foil-covered candy bunnies, they wanted to spend time with elderly people they had never met.
For the past 12 years, parents Roger and Michelle Yauss have been passing out food on holidays and assisting with seasonal bashes for seniors. It has become tradition for the family.
They are part of Little Brothers - Friends of the Elderly, a national, nonprofit, volunteer-based organization committed to relieving isolation and loneliness among older folks.
Local events are coordinated through the group's Cincinnati office in Mount Airy.
The Yauss family is just a handful of the more than 350 regular volunteers with the area chapter, one of eight in the nation.
Easter meals for the elderly, packed into deep foil pans, included baked ham, glazed carrots, potato casserole and berries. An accompanying basket included candy, colored eggs, fruit, juice and a potted plant.
The people who receive a meal are typically referred to Little Brothers by senior services or a similar agency. Assessments are made not by income, but by what degree of isolation they are experiencing.
"The people we see usually don't have family members in the area and they don't have a lot of social contacts," said director Yogi Wess.
The testimonials are frequent and positive, Wess said.
"They appreciate the friendship," she said. "We have one man who tells us that we have saved his life."
The organization has other events throughout the year, including birthday parties, brunches and mini-vacations for the elderly. There's also a social work component for people with medical, transportation or other needs.
The organization's main goal, however, is to pair young with old for regular visits throughout the year.
"The mission is simple - to befriend the elderly, treat them with dignity and respect, and provide them with some nice things," Wess said.
For Roger Yauss, this is an educational opportunity his children wouldn't receive elsewhere.
"I hope they learn to see a little bit the beauty of wisdom," he said. "I think the kids in our society are losing that. It's kind of a what-can-be-done-for-me-now society."
During the Yauss family visit with 61-year-old Silas Warman, the small talk turned into a discussion about his tours in Vietnam.
When the children left the apartment, saluting like tiny soldiers, father Yauss smiled.
"That's what I'm talking about," he said. "That's the kind of education they can gain - and they'll never forget that."
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- by Maggie Downs - Cincinnati Enquirer Staff Writer
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