The art of letter-writing has weathered countless generations. In 2020, this timeless form of communication is making a comeback. Victorian Senior Care, a company that manages 14 assisted living facilities across North Carolina in the US, is seeking pen pals for its residents.
The company implemented a strict no-visitors policy across its facilities as a preventative measure against COVID-19. It has been four months since any of the elderly residents have seen family or friends face-to-face.
Speaking to CNN, chief operating officer of Victorian Senior Care, Meredith Seals said: ‘It has been mentally straining on them not to see family members and loved ones. When you are used to having family there every day and then you can’t, it’s very lonely for them.’
Victorian Senior Care posed the question ‘Will you be my pen pal?’ in a Facebook post, that has since gone viral.
Each facility has posted an album with the address details and images of their residents holding a sign detailing who they are and what they’re interested in. Whether it be chocolates, a TV show, music and movies, there are ample topics a pen pal could write about.
The initiative is equally heartwarming and exciting. To make a new friend among all the COVID-19 chaos is mutually beneficial to the resident and the writer.
The response to the pen pal search has been incredible. The posts have garnered thousands of shares with letters, gifts and care packages have poured in from across America and other parts of the world.
Such a small gesture has brought such happiness to these people’s lives. To date, there have been no cases of COVID-19 in any of the facilities. The packages are carefully sanitised per the Centre for Disease Control’s guidelines.
If you are able to join in and revive the art of letter-writing, all you need to do is visit the Victorian Senior Care Facebook page and scroll through the albums and choose a pen pal. The address to the facility is in the caption.
The main office is also collecting themed parcels to be distributed to a resident with corresponding interests. All the sender needs to do is specify what the theme is (chocolate care package, sports or board games for example). These can be mailed to:
4270 Heath Dairy Road
Randleman NC 27317
Attn: VSCPenPals
Image credit: Facebook/ Victorian Senior Care
