The pandemic has put a spotlight on what Orange High School graduate Jacob Cramer has known for six years: that loneliness is rampant for many long-term care residents.
The rising Yale University junior founded Love for the Elderly after seeing how loneliness affected residents of long-term care facilities. As a volunteer, he was struck by how isolated some residents were, with infrequent visits from family and friends. He formed the non-profit Love for the Elderly to bring joy to the lives of older adults and started by sending letters to a local senior center.
Today, Cramer’s organization has thousands of volunteers who work with more than 300 assisted-living facilities. Each letter or card is hand-written and first screened by a volunteer before it’s forwarded to residents. The group also provides care packages (Sunshine Bags) for and publishes Senior Storybook posts about special seniors and their impact.
Love for the Elderly volunteers have sent more than 100,000 letters, a record 11,000 in April. Cramer says that with nursing homes and similar places under lockdown because of COVID-19 restrictions, isolation and loneliness have increased exponentially. So has participation in the program.
“It’s so heartening to see all the love and kindness pouring out right now,” Cramer says.
So, how do you write a letter to someone you don’t know? Cramer suggests starting a letter with ‘Dear friend,’ or ‘Hello there.’
“My advice is to write a letter like what you would want to receive. Tell them about yourself. Be yourself. Have fun. Just spread some love in your letter.”
To volunteer or to donate to Love for the Elderly, go to lovefortheelderly.org.
