Jann Dean, 74, gets her nails done by McMaster University medical student Harleen Chahal as part of a monthly GlamourGals visit at Chartwell Terrace in Waterloo, Ont. The seniors at a Waterloo, Ont., retirement residence are feeling great — and looking it, too — thanks to a group of medical students who provide a monthly pampering.
It's facilitated by GlamourGals Foundation, a U.S.-based non-profit with the mission to connect young people and seniors. Chahal founded the first Canadian chapter in August 2023. The McMaster medical students pay an annual fee and get supplies from the organization. "The place is lit up and there's more chatter," said Oleksiw. "There's a magic about the youth, the vitality … it's almost a thing. There's a connection. There's the human touch."
"I could provide them that level of emotional support and just care. And I wanted to do that for other people in that community that might not have had that as well."