You can make an elder smile today

Everyone deserves a mailbox full of love letters, and we’re on a mission to make that happen– we’ve sent 500,000 letters of love around the world. So take a few minutes, sit down, and write a letter. Tell them about yourself, maybe share a joke or a riddle and let them know that they are loved.

How to write a letter

Unacceptable:

Letters we love:

It might feel difficult at first to be writing to someone you don’t know. Our advice: just pretend like it’s a conversation! What kinds of things would you want to talk about with a stranger?

Our Guidelines:

1. Letters must be legible (large print), handwritten, and include no glitter. No worries if you’re not artistic– make your card as what you’d like to receive.

2. Avoid religion, if possible. Your letter should resonate with anyone.

3. Embrace creativity! Recipients love it when the letters are personal. We encourage you to make your letters colorful and fun– photos, crosswords, and drawings are great!

4. Be kind & thoughtful. You can include a return address, but please do not expect a letter back. We want to ensure recipients aren’t burdened by feeling obligated or unable to respond.

Fulfill November letter requests

Read elder bios written by the person who nominated them and choose which elder(s) you’d like to write. All letters should be stamped and mailed with love by November 30, 2024. We post new elders who want mail from you on the 1st of every month.

Marilyn

A note from Marilyn’s daughter: My mother loves theater, sewing, crafts, dogs, birds. She had a stroke in 2020 and has been fairly immobile and housebound since then, and has lost most of her vision. She has very little resources for entertainment other than when I take her out. She loves to receive cards and mail because it is something for her to do. She would love to hear what shows you watch, or funny things and stories about your pets.

Please send all letters to:

Marilyns Bundle

c/o Sherry E.

624 Garfield Ave.

Aurora, IL 60506

Carol

A note from Carol’s granddaughter: My Grandma is 82 years old, and is currently battling cancer. She loves to plant flowers and take care of her garden, as roses are one of her absolute favorite flowers. She also loves to watch old timey movies and shows, especially the Hallmark channel. She is definitely a sucker for a good love story. She loves to bake and cook for all of us on holidays. I personally love baking Christmas cookies with her. She absolutely loves God, and would appreciate religious words of encouragement. She also loves to make people laugh, and loves funny jokes. She deserves letters because she has been very lonely lately, and needs some “pick me up”.

Please send all letters to:

Carol’s Bundle

c/o Hailey R.

119 East North Street

Ilion, NY 13357

Pedro

A note from Pedro’s granddaughter: My abuelo Pedro Ignacio is 87 years old and while he has developed dementia he often reminisces on his time in Cuba and in New York. He left Cuba during the revolution and moved to Queens, New York with our grandma. Ignacio enjoys talking about his time working in Manhattan and is proud of his work as a handyman. He is a family man who has 3 children, 7 grandchildren ,and 4 great grandkids! Ignacio’s favorite color is green, he enjoys interacting with young children and animals and is a man of sweets! His favorite sweets are dulce de leche, mamey, and chocolate cake. I know he’d love to read some sweet letters and maybe this gives him a chance to interact with others since he hasn’t been able to leave the house due to his dementia.

Please send all letters to:

Pedro’s Bundle

c/o Brianna R. 

11540 SW 145th Ave. 

Miami, FL 33186

Marge

A note from Marge’s neighbor: Marge is a very sweet lady who has lived in California for many years, however she was born in Austria and previously lived in several different countries. Marge lost her husband a couple of years ago and misses him tremendously. She tries to stay busy and positive. She goes to church regularly and also gets joy out of going to the neighborhood park with her walker as often as she can. She loves all people and dogs. She passes out treats to all the dogs she sees! They love seeing her and all run over to her when they see her coming! She also loves hummingbirds and her beautiful garden. She has many hummingbird feeders in her yard and loves watching the birds. I know getting letters would lift her spirits and remind her that she is a wonderful lady!

Please send all letters to:

Marge’s Bundle

c/o Ronna A. 

5590 Arlene Way

Livermore, CA 94550

Elssie

A note from Elssie’s granddaughter: My grandmother immigrated from the Netherlands with her mother and 7 siblings in 1952 at the age of 12. Now she lives in south Georgia. She is a devout Catholic and volunteers at her church. Her favorite things to do are going bowling with friends, gardening, and going to the lake. Unfortunately, she has recently been diagnosed with Alzheimers and has been struggling with remembering things that would have come easily to her before. She also lost her husband of 49 years, 10 years ago, and has struggled with loneliness ever since. I just know that she would love the kindness people have to offer through their letters to her.

Please send all letters to:

Elssie’s Bundle

c/o Natalie T. 

6022 Addington Drive NW

Acworth, GA 30101

Joanie

A note from Joanie’s cousin: Joanie is 87 years old and was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer's. She has excellent nursing care and a loving son that works from home so he is able to be there with her. Joanie likes to watch Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune. The news of her diagnosis has come as a shock to her and the family, so letters with your stories and kind words would be so meaningful to her. Please fill her mailbox bundle with love!

Please send all letters to:

Joanie’s Bundle

c/o Marie G.

3 Holmehill Lane

Roseland, NJ 07068

Updates on Ethel and Jeannine*

*Updated on 11/12: We have heartbreaking news. On 11/11, we learned that Ethel, one of the elders on our list this month, has passed away. On 11/12, we learned that Jeannine, another elder on our list this month, has passed away. Our hearts go out to their families. If you have already sent a letter to Ethel or Jeannine, it will be shared with her loved ones and hopefully provide some comfort knowing that loving strangers were thinking of them in their final days. If you have written but not yet sent a letter to them, please feel free to discard your letter. Thank you, as always, for your incredible generosity and compassion. While the work we do is truly meaningful, it can also be difficult. We are grateful to have such a caring community of people who make it possible.