More than 15.5 million seniors in America live alone and face isolation due to declining mobility and geographic location. To help combat the negative effects of isolation, DoSomething.org, the largest organization for young people and social change, has teamed up with Meals on Wheels America, the oldest and largest national organization supporting community-based senior nutrition programs, for the fourth annual Love Letters campaign.
Your local Meals on Wheels, Meals on Wheels Western Michigan, is set up to send out handmade Valentine’s Day cards created by youth volunteers from across the country to Kent and Allegan County seniors this Valentine’s Day.
The popular campaign, encouraging young people to create handmade Valentine’s Day cards to lift the spirits of older adults this winter, runs through February 15, 2017 and cards will be included in meal deliveries to Meals on Wheels clients across the country.
“Love Letters is one of DoSomething.org’s most popular campaigns because young people get to use their creativity to help brighten older adults’ day during a peak time of isolation and depression,” said Michelle Fino, Chief Marketing Officer at DoSomething.org.
“Our seniors are always overwhelmed with joy by the generosity of their community. These cards brighten a senior’s day!” says Brewster Hamm, President & CEO of Meals on Wheels Western Michigan.
Since 2014, the popular campaign has generated nearly one million cards that have been distributed through Meals on Wheels America’s network of local programs, which serves 2.4 million homebound seniors each year. The support of this network provides is critical to helping them maintain enough independence to stay in their own homes.
Visit www.dosomething.org/loveletters to get involved.
###
Meals on Wheels Western Michigan is committed to providing nutrition services to enable seniors to remain healthy and independent in their homes.
About your local Meals on Wheels
Meals on Wheels Western Michigan (MOWWM) has been devoted to serving seniors heathy and appetizing meals since 1984. MOWWM’s mission pillars around 3 primary programs – Meals on Wheels, Senior Dining Sites, and Senior Pantries. Homebound seniors (60 and older) may receive up to 14 hand-delivered meals each week through Meals on Wheels. Thirteen Senior Dining Sites offer nutritious meals in addition to a social interaction. MOWWM seniors are also offered the opportunity to collect food through one of three Senior Pantries twice a month. More than 5,500 seniors in Kent and Allegan County are currently receiving MOWWM services, and more than 500,000 meals were delivered to homebound seniors in 2016! Thank you for helping fight senior hunger and isolation!
About DoSomething.org
DoSomething.org is the largest tech company exclusively for young people and social change. We’re activating 5.5 million young people (and counting!) to make positive change, online and off, in every US zip code and in over 131 countries. When you join DoSomething, you join something bigger than yourself. You team up with the young people who have clothed half of America’s youth in homeless shelters. And cleaned up 3.7 million cigarette butts from the streets. And run the largest youth-led sports equipment drive in the world. And more! You’ve got the power and the passion to make an impact — we’ll help you get it done. Welcome to DoSomething. Let’s Do This.
