This past week, I talked to Dana Poon ‘26, founder and president of the Albuquerque Academy chapter of GlamourGals.
Q: What is GlamourGals at Albuquerque Academy?
A: GlamourGals’ mission statement is to “organize and support volunteer chapters to provide companionship and our signature program of complimentary beauty makeovers to elderly residents in senior care.” To be honest, this is just a part of what GlamourGals is about. We do fun activities for residents at senior care facilities. Painting nails is part of it, but we also make friendship bracelets, have tea parties, do crafts, or simply talk to the residents and hear their own life stories.
Q: Tell me about an event. What is it like?
A: For our first event, which was in December, I was kind of anxious because I wanted it to be amazing – not just for the residents, but also for our student volunteers. I wanted our interactions to be fun and positive. So many volunteers joined and spread holiday cheer. We did over 15 seniors’ nails and glammed them all up. All the ladies were so sweet to all of us, even though it was our first time meeting them. I loved seeing smiles, not only on the senior residents but also on our volunteers’ faces.
Our volunteers also engage in writing My Dear Friend greeting cards. It is another way to maintain the joy that our in-person service provides for the seniors – kind words and thoughtful expressions can be a gentle reminder that they are not alone. It is great to see senior participants in our service events truly appreciate our volunteers’ positivity and authenticity.
Q: Were there any memorable moments you’d like to share from your experience?
A: There was one senior named Susan. She was full of spirit and had lived in New York City before. After she got her nails done, she was really excited to show them to her friends at the facility and asked us when we were coming back, saying, “I’m ready to party!”
Q: What is in the future for GlamourGals at Academy?
A: This has been an amazing experience and my goal is to ensure that our club is here to stay. I hope the seniors in our community feel more connected through our service events. We aim to have monthly in-person events and hope to expand our reach to additional facilities, including potentially hosting a fashion show at La Vida Llena, a nearby retirement community.
I truly feel that GlamourGals is not just a club that has made an impact on the seniors in our community, but has also made a difference in my life and I am grateful for that. It would be amazing to grow our volunteer base and to see more GlamourGals chapters open throughout our state. To join our chapter, students can email Dana or DM our Instagram (glamourgals.aa).
