Handwritten hope: Students reach out to seniors on National Letter to an Elder Day

Students from four local schools participated in National Letter to an Elder Day by handwriting letters and drawing pictures for seniors that were hand-delivered Wednesday, Feb. 26, to senior care facilities and services.

Schools participating included St. Vincent de Paul Parish School, Saxony Lutheran High School, Notre Dame Regional High School and St. Paul Lutheran School. Additionally, the SEMO Alliance for Disability Independence (SADI) — a not-for-profit organization that offers services such as advocacy, case management and others to people with disabilities in Southeast Missouri — participated in writing letters. These letters were delivered to seniors at the Veterans Home, Chateau Girardeau, Fountainbleau Lodge and the Lutheran Home, as well as through Meals on Wheels.

St. Vincent and SADI wrote letters specifically to residents at the Veterans Home. At the same time, Saxony Lutheran students focused on writing to residents of the Lutheran Home, St. Paul to Meals on Wheels and Notre Dame to Chateau and Fountainbleau. Students who participated were credited with 30 minutes of community service.

National Letter to an Elder Day falls on Feb. 26 each year. It began in 2020 through the efforts of Jacob Cramer, founder of Love for Our Elders — an organization designed to help "alleviate social isolation among older adults through handwritten letters and intergenerational connections" — who organized the event with his college roommate. The event encourages individuals to send "heartfelt mail to brighten an elder's day and ease isolation, reminding them they are loved and valued." Cramer chose Feb. 26 in honor of his grandmother's birthday.

In honor of ...

Lauren Anne Cole, chairwoman of the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program and Volunteer Intergenerational Center (RSVP/VIC) — a division of AmeriCorps Seniors that also works with Aging Matters — organized the initiative locally in memory of her friend and neighbor Col. Robert Lee Jones, who died Feb. 17, 2024, at 67.

"He saved my life, several times. For real. Sometimes it was just from heartbreak and other times emergency room visits and weeklong stays at the hospital," Cole said of Jones. “He never failed me, and I am not going to fail him. It is in his honor that I want to make seniors and veterans feel loved.”

Jones served 41 years in the military with deployments to Iraq and Honduras. He joined the Missouri Army National Guard at 18 years old and, after advancing in the ranks for 12 years, attended Officer Candidate School (OCS), earning commission as a second lieutenant in 1987. He retired from the military in 2017 as a colonel and received several awards throughout his years of service.

“(This project) means a lot to me because I know my father would appreciate it,” Jones’ daughter Bobbie Jones Dilley said. “He liked to help others.”

Each letter featured a quote from Jones that resonated with Cole: “If it needs to get done … do it now.”

"Anything that was on his list to get done, he always did it,” Cole said. “... So, if it’s on your list, get it done. When he said that, it kind of drove it home for me because you don’t know if there’s a tomorrow.”

Quick turnaround

Cole and her team, which includes RSVP/VIC program director Christy McClain and administrator Ashley Dirnberger, began working on the project on Valentine’s Day. However, last week’s snowstorm halted progress and required extra work and long hours to complete it in time.

“I could not have done it without these ladies,” Cole said.

“And we couldn’t have done it without her,” McClain added.

The project cost no money to complete, as paper and printing was provided by The Rite Group — a local IT support firm operated by Cole’s father, Robin Cole — and everything else was completed on a volunteer basis.

The project began with 130 letters, but quickly grew to more than 2,000. Cole said McClain had to “put a cap on it”’ to ensure they met their deadline.

“(We had to stop) to have zero failure and to learn from this local pilot we’re doing,” McClain said.

According to Cole, the final letter count was 2,017, with one Saxony Lutheran student writing 18 letters and Notre Dame students producing 800 total in just two days. She said she hopes to expand the project next year to include more schools, facilities and services.

Ink and empathy

For the students, the project was more than just an assignment. It was a way to bring joy to those who may feel forgotten.

Bobbie Jones Dilley and her husband, Master Sgt. Joseph Dilley with the Missouri Army National Guard in Cape Girardeau, picked up letters from St. Vincent on Wednesday to hand-deliver to the Veterans Home. Joseph Dilley thanked the students for their efforts, explaining that many veterans who live in the home are lonely and will be glad to receive the letters.

“Thank you all so much,” Joseph Dilley said. “I'm going to deliver these today, so the veterans will be reading you guys' letters tonight.”

Jake Muckerman, a 9-year-old third grade student at St. Vincent, said writing the letters made him feel happy because “making people feel happy just makes (him) happy.”

Students were required to write at least one letter, but could write more. In addition to writing their letter, students also were asked to draw a picture. Muckerman chose to write three letters and adorned them with drawings of a bald eagle and an American flag.

“(The eagle) is a symbol of America,” Muckerman said. “... I feel like their sacrifices make a big difference in the world and in my life.”

His mother, Jeanne Muckerman, expressed pride in her son’s compassion for others and the project overall.

“Jake makes me proud every single day with his kindness and empathy,” she said. “I think it's a wonderful exercise in showing his and other kids’ hearts.”