Whiz Kid: Holiday Cards Spread Seasonal Cheer

Nicole Porter, 14, heard through the grapevine that sometimes senior citizens are left out of the fun at Christmas and are often overcome with loneliness.

She and her youth group at St. Joseph’s Congregation in Cottleville decided to do something about it.

“I love crafts. I like to make fun things,” Porter said. The task was easy.

The first week of December, she and her friends crashed in her basement and created 100 colorful holiday cards to give to those who live in the nursing home and independent residences at the Mount Carmel Senior Living Center on First Capitol Drive in St. Charles.

These were not just cards colored with markers, she said.

“We personalized all 100 cards with craft materials like buttons, bows, cotton balls, pipe cleaners, and lots of glitter and colorful paint,” Porter said.

Porter’s pals created 50 of the cards. She stayed up way past midnight one night working on the other 50.

“We sang Christmas carols to the folks in the nursing home. We pushed the ones in wheelchairs to get there,” she said.

“One of the residents in independent living was in the Navy. He was telling us some of his war stories,” she said. “It was fun listening to him.”

Porter is one of 177 students in the freshman class at St. Joseph's Academy.
Porter is getting into the swing of things at her new high school. Until last year, she attended public school in St. Charles County. She ran cross-country this fall, will try out for the volleyball team and is a member of the youth theater at St. Charles Community College.

She and her 21-year-old brother Mitchell live with parents Barbara and Bruce and two dogs on three acres of land south of Francis Howell High School in Weldon Springs. She enjoys roaming the outdoors with the property featuring both a pasture and a pond.

St. Charles Patch is looking for suggestions for individual kids, youth groups, teens, and even sports teams that wow us with their accomplishments. We want to hear about these amazing children and teens. Submit your nomination in our comment box below or e-mail the information to Kalen.Ponche@patch.com. Be sure to include all of the following information: Nominator's name and e-mail, kid name or team name, age, school, acccomplishment and key to awesomeness.