This month, the EHS Chapter of the National Art Honor Society (NAHS) spread Halloween cheer by donating hand-painted pumpkins to the Gardens of Bellaire, a senior living community located close to campus. This creative service project started with an after-school painting session, during which students added colorful, fun designs to a dozen faux pumpkins in hopes they would bring smiles to future admirers. Hollyn Hanslik ’25 said, “I enjoyed relaxing and painting something knowing it was for a good cause.” 

The project’s second and perhaps most rewarding step was delivering the pumpkins. A group of NAHS students were at the Gardens of Bellaire when the pumpkins were raffled off to residents. Students also handed out home-baked cookies and Halloween candy. “My favorite part was seeing how excited they were to receive the pumpkins we brought,” commented Lizzy Stabell ’26. Riley Miller ’26 commented, “I recently lost my grandmother, and gifting my painted pumpkin to a sweet older woman who surprisingly had the same name as my grandmother felt like a sign that she’s watching over me.”

This annual service project began in 2021. NAHS faculty sponsor Lauren Cunningham explains its origins. “During COVID, my own grandmother was lonely in her assisted living facility, where it was too risky to have visitors. She inspired me to find a way for NAHS students to help the elderly.” That first year, NAHS students painted and donated 20 pumpkins. The Gardens of Bellaire still displays some of these original pumpkins in their dining hall every Halloween. Now in its fourth year, this project continues to be a meaningful way for EHS students to connect with and give back to the Houston community.