Halloween is known for its candy and treats, but residents of Riverview Rehabilitation and Health Care Center in Coventry, RI, enjoyed the latter more when they were recently greeted by smiling students from Father John V. Doyle School carrying a plethora of painted pumpkins.

“The residents obviously loved the pumpkins, but they love seeing the kids more,” said Kerri Field, director of Riverview Life Enrichment. “Even when we take them to the zoo, they look at the animals but they like to see the kids running because they don’t see that very often anymore. I feel like the kids were a little distant, not really knowing what to expect when they got here. But as time passed, they definitely felt more comfortable.

The school came up with the idea to donate the pumpkins after seeing a Facebook post from a retirement home in a nearby town asking carved pumpkin donations. Since providing young children with sharp carving tools might not have been the safest idea, they decided to paint them instead.

Today, these bright, colorful orbs with smiley faces, ghosts, glitter and more are proudly displayed in every resident’s room. These gifts, no matter how small, can make a big difference as the holidays approach.

“(The pumpkins) are miniature, so residents can keep them in the room, which they prefer because they want to keep them,” Field said. “We have a gift tree here, so sometimes families grab a tag for the residents and bring them a gift, which is great. We make sure every resident receives a gift for the holidays.

Field says some residents are increasingly isolated and these collaborations with the school provide them with access to the world outside the facility. Next time there might be a field trip to Father John V. Doyle School for some of them.

“Sometimes they don’t really have family anymore to see the connection they have with the outside world,” Field said. “I even told the teacher, ‘Maybe I could ask some of the residents here to go read to them, like do story time for an hour.’ It’s very important to get them outside and, like I said, they love kids. They look forward to the next visit.

It’s a great way to look forward to treats all year long.