Why We Love Letters Against Isolation
My recall of the pandemic’s early days are hazy at best. It is difficult to grasp now how temporary we thought it was, though not as difficult as it was to grasp then that a simple virus could affect us so deeply, and for so long.
Saffron & Shreya Patel at home in Boston. Photo from lettersagainstisolation.com
Two teenagers in Boston displayed impressive foresight that many of us missed, based on their interactions with their grandmother. Seniors, already somewhat isolated from society’s younger generations of by virtue of their retirement, changed daily routines, or residence in a care facility, were now completely isolated for their physical health. This created tremendous vulnerabilities for their mental and emotional health.
Shreya and Saffron Patel started writing letters to their grandmother. Seeing how it improved her spirits, they contacted a few local homes to ask if their residents would like letters. Each response was a resounding yes.
Letters requests multiplied, and the sisters put out a call for help. Volunteers enrolled quickly: a couple of thousand in the first months and over 20,000 as of February 2022.
Their organization, Letters Against Isolation, gained 501(c)3 status in 2021 and now partners with assisted living facilities, nursing homes, senior centers, meal delivery programs, and other senior-focused facilities in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and Israel. The volunteer army sends an average of 3000 cards, postcards, and letters weekly.
I’m a proud soldier in that army. I learned about Shreya, Saffron, and LAI on the NBC Nightly News in summer 2020. I signed up and got my volunteer number: 1029. I enter this number in the bi-weekly spreadsheet for each note I write, which is how LAI keeps track of all of that mail.
We volunteers can pop over to the Google Sheet, easily see which facilities need more letters, grab a pen and go. We can also see metrics on how we’re doing collectively. As I write, the spreadsheet shows that 58.59% of the requested letters for this two-week period have been covered, and we still have 8 days to go.
We are an ambitious group, due in large part to the incredible ambition of the organization’s founders.
Earlier this year, Letters Against Isolation announced a new Stamp Fund, which provides postage to students with hearts to serve and limited finances. Our third annual Snail Mail Bingo will raise funds for this effort. Stay tuned to our social media and website for the Third Annual Snail Mail Bingo theme!
Learn more about Letters Against Isolation at www.lettersagainstisolation.com.
