Create Caring Cards for Isolated Older Adults

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Reach out to Older Adults by making personalized greeting cards. Sending a handmade card is a very important way to connect with anyone and particularly with home-bound older adults. In the past, this generation primarily communicated through handwritten notes and letters, so your personally written note will be particularly meaningful.

Create your own hand-made, folded cardstock card or use a store-bought card. Here are some guidelines:

Write a warm or cheerful message on the inside of the card. Sign your first name (if the card-maker is a child, they can write their age, too). If you are writing on behalf of a school or organization, you can write that as well. Under your name please write, "a JF&CS volunteer."

When you send us your cards, it is important that you tell us your name, address, and email address. These details are important to include each time you send us cards.

Please leave the cards out of and next to their individual envelopes. We need to read every card and it makes the process so much quicker.

Please do not refer to specifics of a season/date/holiday. If you don’t refer to the flowers coming up in spring it gives us the flexibility to send your card at any time. We will be doing this project for a while.

Please do not write in script. Most of the cards are going to people for whom English is a second language and are not able to read script.

Please do not use 3D stickers or designs, glitter, etc. They are messy, and too challenging to mail and may require additional postage. They just don’t travel well!

NOTE: If you are proficient in Russian, we would love to receive cards written in Russian as we have many Russian-speaking clients. Please provide a translation for us of what you have written.

Mail your cards in a large envelope or box to:

Ava Harder

Manager, Volunteer Services

JF&CS

1430 Main Street

Waltham, MA 02451

Here are some wording suggestions for the inside of the cards. You can use one or more of the following:

• I am keeping you in my heart and thoughts.
• Hope is in the air as we enter a new season!
• I am sending you smiles and a little note to tell you that I am thinking of you.
• I hope you are surrounded with peace and good health.
• I am hoping that your day is full of peaceful moments and want you to know that you are in my heart.
• I hope this card brings you a little sunshine today.
• Sending you smiles and happy thoughts.
• Just wanted you to know that someone is thinking of you.
• Sending caring thoughts your way today and every day.
• I am thinking of you and saying hello to help brighten your day. I hope you are doing well!

Or please, feel free to write your own cheerful or warm message!

Our clients are experiencing isolation following the pandemic in a very different way than many others, and receiving cards is such a wonderful lifeline for them! Please let us know if you have any questions about the card-making project. Learn more here:
https://www.jfcsboston.org/volunteer/personalized-greeting-cards-for-homebound-older-adults