We’re collecting letters and mailing them to seniors in the community.

Take a few minutes, sit down, and write a letter to an elder (a stranger). Tell them about yourself, maybe write a joke or a riddle and let them know that they are loved.

It might feel difficult at first to be writing to someone you don’t know. Our advice: just pretend like it’s a conversation! What kinds of things would you want to talk about to a stranger?

Guidelines:
  • Letters must be readable and handwritten, write big! Don’t worry if you’re not an artist. Make your letter look like something you’d want to get.
  • Your letter should resonate with anyone. Start your letter with Dear Friend.
  • Introduce yourself. Let the reader know who you are and why you’re writing. Make sure your letter focuses on the positive and making the recipient feel good. If you’re not sure what to write about, you could tell a fun story, write about what you’re looking forward to this summer or some fun things you’ve done, mention some books you’ve read, etc.
  • Avoid topics that could upset people, like religion, politics, covid, isolation, etc. Also, please don’t write the date on the letter.
  • Get Creative! Folks love it when letters are personal. Make your letters colorful and fun– photos, crosswords, and drawings are great! Make sure your letters are longer than a greeting card and please do not use glitter.
  • Be kind & thoughtful. What can you say to spread kindness?
  • Sign your first name. While it’s important that this letter come from you, don’t share more personal information (like your last name, home address, or phone number)
  • Drop them off with us and we’ll take care of the rest!
  • This is a one-way letter exchange, so you will not receive a letter back. 

Things that would make your letter unacceptable to send:

  • Glitter
  • Very sloppy writing
  • Very short

This program was adapted from Love for Our Elders: https://loveforourelders.org/