Alexander Pogrebniak

For some senior citizens, adjusting to life in nursing homes can bring feelings of loneliness and the sense that they have been forgotten by society. One young man in Jacksonville, FL is changing that through his involvement at a senior housing facility, improving the quality of the residents’ lives with a smile and an attentive ear.

High-schooler Alex Pogrebniak has volunteered weekly at the Taylor Manor Residences for nearly two years. He cleans the residents’ eyeglasses, reads to them, plays his French horn, encourages them to participate in group activities, helps them with arts and crafts projects, opens doors for them, talks to them … and most importantly listens to them.

Alex has set a positive example for his classmates to follow. His interactions with the people who have actually lived through the national and world events he now studies in history class provide an experience few other youths are likely getting. Stepping up to meet a need in his community, and making friendships across generations, Alex is a genuine Point of Light.