THE IMPACT OF A HANDWRITTEN LETTER

If you want a boost of faith in the youth of today, look no further than Shreya and Saffron Patel. 

In 2020, the world came to a screeching halt in a sweeping act of human solidarity against COVID-19. When it became clear that seniors were among the highest risk from the disease, the rest of us did what we could to protect them. 

Unfortunately, protecting our elders meant staying away from them. Older folks are already more prone to loneliness than other age groups, and sadly the pandemic exacerbated the feeling of isolation many seniors experience. 

The Patel sisters, 16 and 18 at the time, recognized the issue with their own grandparents early in the pandemic, so they made a point of calling them frequently. But when their grandmother shared how “ecstatic” she was at receiving a handwritten letter from a friend one day, they got an idea.

“This small gesture of connection meant the world to her,” says Shreya. “We realized that many other seniors may also be feeling disconnected, and that they may appreciate a letter.”

Shreya and Saffron reached out to local assisted living facilities and care homes in the Boston area to ask if it would be okay if they sent residents letters. The responses were enthusiastically positive...read more

LOST RING

I lost my mother's wedding ring when I was throwing some peanuts for the squirrels. The area is wooded with downed branches and high grass. Prayer request that we find it. My mother just passed away this year, so it was super sentimental to me.

- Donna