Fostering baby chicks sparks joy for Virginia senior living community

FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. (FOX 5 DC) - A senior living community in Fair Oaks is partnering with a local farm to foster baby chicks, sparking joy for residents and visitors.

The Brightview Senior Living Community is fostering four baby chicks with associates caring for them with the help of the residents. The program originated during Easter and has now extended into Earth Day.

Brightview picked up the chicks and supplies and learned how to care for them from the farmers at Great Meadows Farm.

Residents visit the chicks whenever they want and the program has been thoroughly enjoyed by the residents and their visitors, especially grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Brightview has invited residents to give name suggestions for the chicks, leading to an activity where associates put the papers with the name suggestions in a bin and had each chick walk around until a timer went off. Whichever name the chick was standing on when the timer went off became its name!

Brightview says many residents find spending time with the chicks very soothing. One of their residents has hand tremors, and his daughter pointed out to him that his hands were still while he was holding them.

Officials say this project has prompted a lot of great interaction with families and the community.