It was just a day like any other. Kaitlin Sandell was visiting her great-grandfather with her family. She loved spending time with him, but each time she went, she noticed that many seniors did not have family or friends visiting them. Sandell wanted to change this.

As a freshman in 2012, now junior Sandell founded Purpose Pastries, a club dedicated to bring baked goods and smiles to Park Terrace and Atria Del Sol, senior living centers in Rancho Santa Margarita and Mission Viejo.

“I love to bake,” Sandell said. “I had nothing to do with all the cookies I baked, so I figured I would put them to good use.”

There are many recipes students can choose from to bake for the senior centers, and all the food is donated by Whole Foods. It is an opportunity to share the talent of baking with others.

Purpose Pastries club members visit on Saturdays and Sundays throughout the year and spend the afternoon with the seniors. During their visits, the club members share their homemade baked goods, visit with the seniors, play games and even help the seniors Skype with their family members.

“When we go to Atria Del Sol, we play games with the elderly,” said club historian Charlotte Driscoll. “There is this one lady, Cynthia, who is really good at Scrabble. We think we’ve figured out that she cheats, but it is a good time.”

The club hopes to enrich the senior citizens’ lives and show them Caritas Christi. They also aim to “bake for smiles” and share a sweet treat along the way.

Recently, a senior citizen had a big birthday at the senior center with no one to help her celebrate.

“This lady turned 102,” Sandell said. “We had a party for her in celebration of her birthday. We enjoyed the cookies and played games as well.”

Now as Sandell walks into the senior center, she knows the seniors will not be alone. She comes with friends, a plate or two full of cookies to share with them and the hope that she can make a difference in their lives.

“I hope that I can make the senior citizens feel less lonely when I go visit,” Sandell said.