There are more than 100 residents at The Atrium at Boca Raton. Only about a quarter receive regular visitors.
Once a month, that changes.
A group of students from Boca Raton Community High School arrives carrying nail polish, handmade crafts, and an ease that turns small talk into something meaningful. They are members of Glamour Gals, part of a national nonprofit founded in 2000 by then–high school student Rachel Doyle Boyens, who organized her first makeover at a Long Island senior home after recognizing how many elderly residents were living without regular visitors. What began as a small gesture has grown into a movement with chapters across the country.
At Boca High, that movement is led by 18-year-old Lyla Wolf.
“I was inspired to start a Glamour Gals chapter at my school because I wanted to help people,” said Wolf, who founded her school’s chapter as a sophomore. “I wanted to make an impact in a unique way.”
Since then, Glamour Gals has met in biology teacher Alessandro Contessa’s classroom to discuss volunteer procedures and conversation topics. Securing a nursing home partner proved more complicated than expected. Calls often went unanswered or were met with confusion. When they finally reached The Atrium, the answer was “yes.”
For three years, the group has visited monthly, painting nails and settling into conversations that stretch far beyond color choices. Among their regular companions is 82-year-old Gay Gentry, who spent more than three decades teaching middle and high school before retiring.
“I’m impressed with the fact that they can talk to an old adult and be comfortable,” said Gentry.
She receives a manicure at every visit, but the real draw is the dialogue. Teenagers, she says, are “fascinating and interesting.”
“One will be working on my nails, but two or three always come sit with us,” said Gentry. “And there’s a conversation going on, but they’re leading the conversation and including me in, which really shows a great deal of awareness of how to include someone in a conversation that might not be one of you.”
In addition to manicures, the students make handmade keychains and bookmarks. Recently, the club participated in—and won—the national My Dear Friend campaign, creating handwritten cards for seniors in care across the country. Wolf and her clubmates wrote 646 cards—more than any other chapter—earning an upcoming visit from the organization’s founder.
Eleventh-grade twins Celine and Aline Barakat each wrote more than 100 cards. “The residents tell us some pretty cool stories about the jobs they used to have and what it was like building their careers back then,” said Aline. “A lot of them talk about traveling the world and the different countries they visited when they were younger. They also share stuff about their families, how they met their spouses, or just what it was like growing up in a completely different time. They’re always giving us really good advice, like telling us to focus on our education and to travel while we’re still young.”
The exchanges are often lighthearted—one resident even asked for help setting up a Tinder profile. But there are harder moments as well.
“Spending time with residents before they pass makes us feel thankful that we had the chance to be part of their lives, even for a short time,” said Aline.
Currently holding officer seats, Celine and Aline hope for the vice president position next school year. One of the club’s goals is to recruit more male volunteers, particularly to connect with male residents, some of whom opt for clear polish but stay for conversation.
Wolf will graduate in a few weeks. She hopes to start a Glamour Gals chapter at the college she attends and says the experience has already shaped her career ambitions.
“I would love to do something in nonprofit management,” said Wolf. “Maybe even working with Glamour Gals.”
For residents like Gentry, the impact feels immediate and far-reaching. “We’re in good shape if this bunch of girls is going to be in charge of things.”
