How Your Place of Employment Can Help The Elderly

Five years ago this August, I took an idea I had and turned it into a legal, non-profit organization to help brighten the lives of elderly people in nursing homes. I decided to call it "Snail Mail For Seniors".  Between visiting relatives in nursing homes and then volunteering in one, I have seen how many senior citizens are lonely and do not get much personal attention.  Phone calls and visitors are rare, and for many, receiving a piece of mail is non-existant.  My organization sends greeting cards and children's artwork to activity directors in an assisted living/nursing home, and they give it to the seniors that need it the most. I send each senior something every 3-4 weeks.  It may seem like such a simple thing, but to the senior citizen receiving the card, it makes a huge difference.  Just some of the comments I have received back from the activity directors include,  "These cards bring tears of joy to our seniors", "Many hold on to them for days", "Your cards are the only thing they have hanging on their walls", "The seniors are so surprised and excited when they get your mail"..etc., etc.  As word of our organization spreads, we keep adding more seniors to our list.  I currently send mail to roughly 800 senior citizens in 36 nursing/assisted living home facilities all around the state, and even cards to some still in their private homes.  We also send a card along with the Canton "Meals On Wheels" hot lunches monthly.

 Obviously, to keep the program going, I need to keep the supply of cards to meet the demand.  We were written up in the national craft magazine "CardMaker" a few years ago, as well as the cover article in the "ACCESS" newspaper for spring 2012.  This is a publication of the Area Agency on Aging 1-B which covers 6 area counties.  This exposure, along with letters and articles I write have provided me with a large group of caring, devoted, volunteers who make cards for our seniors, as well as items from teachers, youth groups, scout troops, etc.  We also have had many students make us cards for community service credit or National Honor Society credit for their schools.  We have had card making sessions at the Summit on the Park, and at the Canton Public Library.

Here is where you can help.  Do you have a business where kids have to sit and wait, such as a medical/dental office, car repair, etc.?  Do you provide child care while a parent is doing something else, such as at a gym or jazzercise?  Do you have siblings sitting around a dance studio or sports center waiting for a class to end? If so, would you consider putting out crayons and paper for the kids to make cards or pictures for our oranization?  You could save them in a box and let me know when it is full so I can pick them up. Or, we have a drop-off center for "Snail Mail" items at Waltonwood Carriage Park Assisted Living Home, 2000 Canton Center Rd., between Ford and Saltz.  Leave the items marked "Snail Mail" with donor info inside at the front desk during the hours of 8:30am - 7pm. Or, our mailing address is:  Snail Mail For Seniors, P.O. Box 87491, Canton, MI  48187 

We also gladly accept donations of postage stamps, large manila envelopes (padded and unpadded) for mailing the cards, non-made greeting cards (not 'get well') and greeting card envelopes of all sizes.   If you have any questions or ideas please contact me at: snailsmiles@hotmail.com

Please take a look at our facebook page for pictures of donated cards and volunteers.  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Snail-Mail-For-Seniors/124492997569226

Your comments or questions on the page are welcome.  Our website is: www.snailmailforseniors.com

And...don't forget to get your kids busy making cards or pictures for us while they are out of school!  It will be a rewarding experience for the kids, and so heart-warming for the senior citizens that recieve them.  Thank you.