Love Letters:
Teen Tackles Loneliness with the Written Word
The pandemic 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.
Food for Thought:
The Best Side is Outside
It’s a social distancing jungle out there.
Masks. Hand sanitizer. Six-foot perimeters. Special store hours. One-way aisles. Skimpy selections. Remember when food shopping was fun? Or simple?
Here’s some good news for foodies: it’s farmers market season. We’ll still be following good social distancing practices, but at least we’ll be doing it outdoors. Most local farmers markets resume this month. Expect limits on the number of people in the market area and special hours for people most vulnerable for the coronavirus.
Other changes: Many markets will prohibit customers from bringing their own bags and touching items. Vendors will fill bags. Masks are recommended for everyone. Check with your favorite markets for specifics.
Operation Cheer:
Keep Grandkids Busy
If you’re looking for a project with your grandkids, the Autism Society of Greater Akron has a suggestion: Use your crafting expertise to make items for their Operation Cheer.
The group is collecting hand-drawn cards and pictures from children and forwarding them to people with disabilities who live in care facilities and group homes, isolated from friends and family.
Mail the creations to the Autism Society of Greater Akron, 703 S. Main St., Akron, OH, 44311.
Laptop-Friendly Trips…
Almost Like Being There
Instead of taking your laptop with you somewhere, let your laptop take you.
With many summer vacations scrambled, mix things up with a virtual trip. We know, it’s not as fun, but a real-time view of where you would have gone is better than nothing.
Take a look at the pier and surf action at North Carolina’s Outer Banks at outerbanks.org/plan-your-trip/webcams. Enjoy the majesty of Niagara Falls at earthcam.com/canada/niagarafalls/thefalls.
Why stay domestic? Visit Florence, Italy at skylinewebcams.com. and then venture off to other beautiful and interesting locales through the website. It’s a staycation summer but with a computer, you don’t have to stay home.
Game Changers:
Tell Us Who’s Making an Impact
Northeast Ohio’s magazine for boomers is accepting nominations for the best of our region’s innovators who make a positive impact in the lives of people 50+.
Dedicating to Better Living After 50, Northeast Ohio Boomer and Beyond magazine is celebrating its fifth anniversary this fall with its inaugural Boomer and Beyond Impact Awards. From housing to healthcare, employment, recreation and more, give us your nominees for people who are creatively addressing the needs of people 50+. Nominations may be submitted with our online ballot at northeastohiothrive.com through June 5.
Photo credit: Katie Warren
