DoSomething.org, the
largest organization for young people and social change and AARP Foundation’s
Mentor Up today announced the results of the Love Letters, a campaign that encouraged
young people to make handmade Valentine's Day cards to lift the spirits of
older adults across the country during a peak time of isolation and depression.
The campaign is in partnership with the Meals On Wheels Association of America
and featured singer and actress China Anne McClain in a Public Service Announcement.
Nationwide, nearly 53,000 young people crafted and shipped more than 455,000 Valentine’s Day cards for homebound seniors since
November 25. Meals on Wheels of Lehigh County was among the recipients in this
year’s campaign and roughly 2000 handmade cards were included in meal
deliveries to senior clients through February 15.
“The young people who made these cards brought
smiles to the 430 people we serve each weekday. It means so much to them to
know that people care about them and that they are not forgotten. The cards
made them feel young again and brought back memories of their school days. Each of our clients received at least 4
cards! The daughter of one of our
89-year-old called to tell us that her mother couldn’t stop smiling about the
cute cards she received.” said Pam Bechtel, Executive Director.
“We’re blown away that DoSomething.org members
made over 455,000 cards for Meals on Wheels clients across the country,” said
Naomi Hirabayashi, chief marketing officer at DoSomething.org. "That's a
lot of glitter and love."
To learn more about one of DoSomething.org’s most
popular campaigns, visit DoSomething.org/loveletters