Lufthansa’s help alliance Americas recently hosted a lively community event at Saratoga Family Residence, using the newly refurbished outdoor space to connect with the families. This event—organized by trainees in Lufthansa’s Take Off Trainee program with the help of volunteers from Lufthansa Group—was the culmination of a project that began earlier this year with the trainees painting a colorful mural to brighten up the area.
“Part of our trainee program is working with the help alliance Americas team and doing a give-back project—so that was painting this mural. To capstone the project we’re hosting this event to engage with the community,” said Take Off trainee Jennifer MacIntyre.
Help alliance Americas, the Americas chapter of Lufthansa’s global non-profit initiative, focuses on making a social impact in the communities where they operate. Since Lufthansa flies out of JFK International Airport, located near Saratoga Family Residence, this event was a meaningful way to engage local families.
“The purpose of the event was to bring joy to the people who are residing here at Saratoga,” said Jennifer. “We chose to do the mural to bring color and life to the space, and then to have the kids come in with the new space and kick it off—have some popsicles, be inspired by the painting and do some painting themselves and play some games.”
The event was also a time for families to bond and for the kids to interact and enjoy creative activities. Families painted their own mini canvases, added their handprints to the mural, played hopscotch, and cooled off with popsicles.
“I like the interaction between mother and daughter—getting a little bonding time because we don’t have that a lot,” one mother said.
Some of the Lufthansa volunteers were from Germany, and the kids enjoyed getting to know them, hearing a new language, and learning about their culture firsthand.
“It was fun playing hopscotch and painting outside,” said Hannah, a student in Saratoga’s Afterschool & Recreation program. “My favorite part was the popsicles and the German people. I had never met German people before.”
Director of Afterschool & Recreation Michael Chapman highlighted the deeper impact of the event.
“It gave families a chance to utilize the new outdoor space. Even with the handprints and putting them on the mural—that was special because you had kids making a lasting impression on their time here. Overall, it was great because it was more than just them coming to paint, it was family engagement,” said Michael.
With the mural and grounds now complete, the area will continue to serve as a vibrant hub for families to spend time together.
