NATIONAL LETTER TO AN ELDER DAY
Every year on February 26th, National Letter to an Elder Day encourages putting pen to paper and writing to an elder you know. The day serves to remind that loved ones enjoy hearing from us and that a simple letter brightens their day.
#LettersToAnElderDay
Everyone knows that writing is a powerful way to stay connected. If you’ve ever received an unexpected letter, you know what a pick-me-up it can be. Letter to an Elder Day takes that unexpected gift one step further and delivers that love to the elders in our life or those who may be isolated from others.
HOW TO OSBERVE LETTERS TO AN ELDER DAY
- Write a letter to an elder.
- Host a letter-writing party to write as many letters as possible.
- Create a classroom letter-writing project.
- Visit Love for Our Elders to join their letter-writing campaign.
- Send a handmade card.
- Use #LettersToAnElder on social media to join the conversation.
NATIONAL LETTERS TO AN ELDER DAY HISTORY
Love for Our Elders founded National Letters to an Elder Day in 2020 to encourage handwritten letters to elders all across the country. The story begins with a young boy and his grandpa. When Jacob Cramer lost his grandfather, he began to volunteer at a local senior living community as a way of honoring his memory. The residents lovingly referred to him as “Bingo Boy” because of his entertaining and lively way of calling the community’s bingo game (a much-heated affair, he’s sure to tell you). While volunteering, Jacob discovered that many of the residents rarely received messages or visitors from family and friends and that loneliness was a chronic and ever-present problem.
So Jacob decided to start writing letters of love to senior communities; quickly, his moniker changed from Bingo Boy to Letter Boy. He found grace and love in his relationships with his friends in the senior community and eventually decided to take his letter-writing efforts national. Jacob created a nonprofit that urged people to write letters to elders (or anyone else in need who are older than them) and facilitated the delivery to seniors worldwide. Since 2013, Jacob and his team have amassed an army of 50,000+ letter writers worldwide.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, they branched out to collect video messages of hope, love, and encouragement, created public awareness campaigns, and engaged individuals, classrooms, and companies. National Letter to an Elder Day is held on February 26 to coincide with the birthday of Jacob’s grandmother, Doris.
Letters FAQ
Q. Can I just send a card?
A. You can send a card, but Love for Our Elders asks that you write a letter, too. Make an effort to write several sentences.
Q. Can I write a poem?
A. Yes! Be as creative as you want to be. However, Love for Our Elders asks that you don’t use glitter. We completely agree!
Q. Can I send the letter to someone I know?
A. Yes! If you don’t know who to send the letter to, the Love for Our Elders website will connect you to someone to write your letter to.
Q. Is February 26th the only day I should send a letter to an elder?
A. No. This year-round effort encourages you to write and keep writing to our elders.
