By Courtney Runn
The snow has melted, but Texas is still reeling from last week’s historic winter storm. Days of freezing temperatures left millions of Texans without power and water, leading to medical emergencies, burst pipes, house fires, carbon monoxide poisoning, and food insecurity. As the state slowly recuperates, local nonprofits and mutual-aid organizations are rushing to provide storm relief.
In Austin, organizations have focused on water and food distribution, as both needs persist after the city lifted its water-boil notice. Many nonprofits, like the women and children’s shelter SAFE, are in need themselves after storm damage disrupted their ability to serve vulnerable communities.
We’ve compiled a list of seven Austin organizations providing storm relief, and ways you can help.
Austin Area Urban League
Austin Area Urban League launched the #LoveThyNeighborTexas campaign to spread awareness of housing-insecure communities and, so far, has raised more than $1 million. The organization is also distributing water at its headquarters. Donate.
Austin Disaster Relief Network
The Austin Disaster Relief Network has mobilized its 200+ church partners to provide warming shelters, water, food, showers, laundry service, and cleanup.
Black Leaders Collective
A collaborative effort between Central Texas Leaders, the Black Leaders Collective serves to “advocate and amplify the Black community by uniting a coalition designed to take charge and fight for our values.” Donate.
Community Resiliency Trust
The Community Resiliency Trust is partnering in efforts to distribute water and food. The organization is also looking for volunteers who speak Vietnamese, Arabic, or Mandarin to make sure all Austinites are aware of available resources. Volunteer or donate.
DAWA Heals
DAWA Heals, “a safety net for people of color who are experiencing short term life crisis,” is amplifying local organizations and has distributed $32,000 in emergency cash assistance. Donate.
Front Steps
In its mission to care for people experiencing homelessness, Front Steps has been distributing food, water, and blankets to those in need. The organization is currently accepting bottled water at its downtown headquarters. Donate.
SAFE
SAFE, a shelter for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, has continued to offer 24/7 support for anyone in need, despite experiencing severe water damage after the storm. The nonprofit is currently asking for help in fulfilling its Amazon and Target wishlists. Donate.
Happy Women’s History Month! What a wonderful time to highlight and celebrate the groundbreaking contributions women have made to our world. From being pioneers in several fields to careers as inventors, authors, athletes and so much more, women have made a tremendous impact in society, and continue to do so to this day. It’s never too early to learn about how women have shaped the course of history, showing courage, wisdom, and empowerment.
So how did it all start? Women’s History Month began in Sonoma, California in 1978. The local school district planned a weeklong celebration to honor women’s contributions. In 1980, President Jimmy Carter declared the week of March 8th as International Women’s Week. After a petition from the National Women’s History Project, an organization known as the only clearinghouse providing information and training in multicultural women’s history, Congress expanded the celebration to the entire month of March in 1987.
If you’re looking for some empowering books to enjoy with your child for Women’s History Month, here’s a curated selection of illustrated reads by and about a diverse set of amazing women. You’ll also want to check out our post on picture books by Toni Morrison!
Which picture books look appealing as you create your child’s Women’s History reading list? Let us know which ones you choose and if you have any other favorites!
As a teacher, I love to make a themed activity that goes beyond a simple craft (though I love a good craft too), and an Easter egg hunt is a fun option to mix up our playground time when spring rolls around. But if I gave my four-year-olds a bunch of candy in the middle of the day, I’d have kids bouncing off the walls like pennies in a tin can!
So I created this sight-word Easter egg hunt, instead. Why sight words? Well, sight words—also called high-frequency words—are words children come across often, but which aren’t easy to sound out. For example, kids will see the word come a lot, but imagine trying to sound that out as a brand-new reader. Or they learn that A makes the “short vowel” sound like in apple and then can’t understand the word are. Some very common sight words are: a, are, the, he, she, we, I, no.
We teach children to recognize these words by sight, hence the nickname. This means that the more children are exposed to these words, the faster they’ll pick them up and add them to their reading arsenal. This egg hunt literacy game is a fun way to celebrate the season (without the sugar rush), get kids active, and keep them learning in a playful way. Ready? Let’s hop to it!
Sight Word Easter Egg Hunt Tutorial:
Materials Needed:
- Plastic Easter eggs
- Easter basket or other container for collecting eggs
- Paper (multiple sheets)
- Pencil or marker
- Scissors
- Tape
Step 1: On a piece of paper, write down 10 to 12 sight words (or words your child is working on). If you aren’t sure which sight words to use, you can ask your child’s teacher for a list or review websites like Sightwords.com for a comprehensive list. For pre-readers, you can also do this activity with uppercase or lowercase letters to help your child learn their ABCs.
Step 2: Write the target words (or letters) on a second sheet of paper and tape it to the wall, at your child’s eye level if possible.
Step 3: Cut out each individual word or letter from the first sheet of paper, and then place each in a plastic Easter egg.
Step 4: Hide the eggs around your home or yard.
Step 5: Show your child the list of target words or letters on the wall and review each one with them. Then send them on an Easter egg hunt!
Once they’ve collected their eggs, have them bring the eggs back to the posted list and match what’s inside to the writing on the wall. Which words or letters did they find? Have they found all of them? Can they remember what each one says?
Optional: If your kid is going to expect sweets once you’re dabbling in Easter eggs (we get it!), or if you have some leftover Easter candy to dole out, you can give out candies as prizes in return for their found sight words or letters. Just let them turn in each paper that they successfully read for a piece of candy. (And let them try to read each as many times as it takes to succeed!)
Like many of my favorite activities, this is one you can do again and again—it doesn’t have to only be at Easter. You can change up the sight words as your child gains mastery. And being a Dollar Store Diva myself, I love that I can get these plastic eggs on the cheap.
Now, have fun … I hope you have an egg-cellent time!
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Award-winning author Toni Morrison is well known for her powerful writing that examines the black experience in America, with a particular focus on women and girls. Both a Nobel Prize and Pulitzer Prize winner, she is best remembered for her classic novels The Bluest Eye (1970) and Beloved (1987), which was later adapted into a movie with Oprah Winfrey’s support. Her vast and impressive body of work includes 11 novels, nine non-fiction books, two short stories, and two plays.
What many people don’t know about Morrison is that her works also include eight children’s books that she wrote along with her son, Slade Morrison. These delightful and whimsical stories explore a variety of themes that will make excellent conversation starters during family read-alouds. You can use them to spark reflection, and ask your children how they relate to the stories. Check out our post on read-aloud styles to learn about the importance of interaction during story time. In addition to engaging your child in discussion around the books’ themes, and building on their questions about the stories, you can also point to sight words or letters your child may recognize as you go through the pages. This develops their print awareness, a key pre-reading skill.
Children’s Books by Toni and Slade Morrison
Let us know if you’ve read these books with your child and which are your favorites!
By Chrysta Naron
One March a few years ago I was teaching Pre-K and had hit a teaching wall. I felt like I had exhausted my whole arsenal of reading activities. My students were bored of the same small-group activities as they progressed from learning letters to reading simple words. I didn’t know what to do to spice things up.
Cue Cara. Cara, one of my students, showed up one day and proudly showed me a bag of her newest treasure: chocolate gold coins to share with the entire class. Rather than simply hand them out, Cara threw them up overhead at Circle Time and shouted, “It’s Patrick’s Day treats!”
As my little friends began laughing and scurrying for coins, it struck me how much fun we could make reading with the use of a shiny treat. And leprechaun gold goes with rainbows! If you run with the five-year-old set, you’ll know: Rainbows. Are. Everything. Thus Pot O’ Vowels was born! It’s the perfect St. Patrick’s Day game that helps kids practice reading while having fun.
You’ll find detailed instructions below, but first, let’s look at why this kind of activity is so great for learning.
How This Game Develops Reading Skills
What’s unique about this activity is that it develops children’s phonemic awareness. Phonemic awareness is the ability to isolate a single sound in a word. Rather than just sounding out a word, a child has to listen for a specific sound in a specific spot to play this game. Phonemic awareness can be a tricky thing to learn and a tricky thing to teach, but Pot O’ Vowels is a literacy activity that helps break it down in two ways.
- We use consonant-vowel-consonant, or CVC, words. This means a three-letter word that starts with a consonant, has a vowel in the middle, and ends with a consonant. Words like BAT or KID. These words are usually ones children are familiar with and can easily sound out. (The longer the word, the harder it is to find a single sound within it.)
- We focus only on the vowel sound. This makes the target something stable and limited. There are only 5 vowels, compared to 21 consonants, and we’re only using the “short” vowel sounds. It creates a lot of combinations, but really focuses the skill for a child.
Bonus: This game is also really inexpensive! I went to the dollar store and got everything for $3! And it only takes a few minutes to set up. Talk about the Luck of the Irish!
Materials:
- Gold coins (plastic or chocolate)
- Small black pots (or any opaque container)
- Markers or crayons
- Tape
- Paper
- Packing tape (optional)
Cost: $3
Step 1: On a sheet of paper, help your child draw a rainbow with thick bands of color. Make sure your rainbow has at least four stripes. Then repeat on a second piece of paper.
Tip: You can also print or draw a blank rainbow template and let your kiddo color it in.
Step 2: On each band, write the first and last letter of some three-letter CVC words that your child is familiar with. Here are some suggestions:
C _ T (can go with CAT, CUT, or COT)
D _ G (can go with DOG, DIG, or DUG)
S _ N (can go with SUN or SON)
B _ G (can go with BAG, BIG, BOG, BEG, or BUG)
H _ T (can go with HAT, HOT, or HIT)
S _ T (can go with SIT, SET, or SAT)
Step 3: Using a permanent marker, write one of the five main vowels (A, E, I, O, U) on each gold coin. Make sure that there are multiples of each vowel. You can use either plastic coins or chocolate ones; the choice is up to you.
Step 4: Place the gold coins in the black pot. Now you have a Pot O’ Vowels! Any non-transparent container will work if you’re unable to buy the pots.
Step 5: Each player takes turns drawing a coin from the Pot O’ Vowels. Use the vowel coin to try to create words on your rainbow. The first player to have a rainbow full of words wins!
If your child loves this game, make it permanent using this old teacher trick. Cut out the rainbow and cover both sides in packing tape. It’s low-cost lamination that will keep those cards safe from wear and tear.
Upgrade: Is your little leprechaun a pro at CVC words? You can make this game more advanced by choosing words with Y as the vowel, like FLY or TRY. Or create words that have a silent E, such as B_KE (which could be bike or bake).
Turn reading time into playtime? I-rish you would!
By Chrysta Naron
Have you ever looked at an uppercase A? Really looked at it? It’s tall, angular, and has nice long lines. Now look at a lowercase a. It’s short and round and sometimes even has a little hood on top. You might think, “How are these two symbols the same letter?”
Well, your young child is probably thinking the exact same thing. It’s important for us to help kids learn the connection between uppercase and lowercase letters—that these two symbols are actually one and the same letter!
There are so many creative ways you can accomplish this through play. I love to use food and cooking to teach, but all parents know that where little chefs go, mess follows. Luckily, young children just love pretend play. So I’ve cooked up a little literacy activity that keeps kids entertained in the kitchen while teaching the connection between uppercase and lowercase: “no-bake letters!”
Note: Check out the end of this post to find easy ways to adapt this activity for kids who are ready to move on to practicing letter sounds or even to spelling out simple words.
Cost: Free if you already have alphabet magnets and these other simple materials. If you don’t have letter magnets yet, they’re well worth adding to your teaching arsenal. You can pick up some basic ones for just a few dollars.
Materials Needed:
- Alphabet magnets
- Metal cookie sheet
- Paper
- Marker
- Tape
- Printer (optional)
Step 1: Write all 26 lowercase letters on a piece of paper. Optional: You can also type them up and print them out if you like. (Check out here why Comic Sans is the best font to use!)
Step 2: Cut out each letter individually.
Step 3: Tape each letter to the cookie sheet. For younger children, place the letters in alphabetical order. For more advanced readers, feel free to mix them up and place them all over the sheet.
Step 4: Time to play! Optional: To spice up this activity, you can invite your preschooler to don an apron and maybe even a chef’s hat to make their own no-bake letters.
Give your child the uppercase alphabet magnets. Now, have them match each uppercase magnet to the same lowercase letter. Thanks to the magnet, the uppercase letters will stick in place on top of the lowercase ones!
If you have a play kitchen, let them stick the cookie sheet in the pretend oven to “bake” their answers once they’ve matched all the magnets. (No play oven? No problem. You can create your own from an old cardboard box. Just cut a door in the side that pulls down, then let your child decorate it.)
Adaptations
What if your child already knows the alphabet? Fear not! I have a couple of handy adaptations right here: Print pictures of everyday objects, animals, etc., and have your child match the alphabet magnet to the picture that begins with the first sound. Try it again, this time matching the last sound of a word.
You can even ask your more advanced writer to spell out the names of the objects with the magnets! Just remember that for this version, you’ll need to pick words that don’t have any double letters.
More than anything, this activity is one that is quick for you to create and keeps your child learning as they age. These are important reading skills and making no-bake letters is a fun way to help your child acquire them. No muss, no fuss! Just lots of learning fun.
*Featured photo by Andrea Alexander
By Karen Williams
Of all of the ways we can encourage learning and development in children, reading aloud to them is one of the simplest and most effective. Reading picture books to even the youngest children builds their vocabulary and comprehension. But what it doesn’t do, at least not automatically, is help them connect the lines on the page (which are so much less eye-catching than the illustrations) with the words they’re hearing.
To get the most out of story time, we need to draw kids’ attention to the letters and words on the page, in addition to the pictures—what’s known as “print referencing.” This easy tweak can make all the difference in helping listeners bridge towards readers. And few texts are better adapted for print referencing than Mo Willems’s popular picture books, with their comic-book style illustrations and speech bubbles.
You may even already be practicing print referencing without realizing it! Let’s delve in a little deeper to see how you can best leverage this super-easy but super-powerful tool for seeding reading.
What is Print Referencing?
Most simply, print referencing is pointing out text as you read aloud. Research has shown that, when presented with books, children are more likely to focus on the pictures on each page than the words. With print referencing, we draw their attention from the pictures to the words. This allows children to develop the awareness that we’re actually reading the text, not describing the pictures. This technique encourages several literacy skills as children get older, including language development, spelling, pronunciation, and pattern recognition.
The beauty of print referencing is that it is so easy to do, yet can have such an outsized impact on literacy. Here are some ways you can use print referencing during read-alouds with your children.
Trace or underline words as you read. No expensive kits or fancy accessories necessary! The key tool for print referencing is the simple yet effective index finger. By underlining words as you read to children, you focus their attention on the print itself, rather than just the pictures. Your kids will also learn about the pacing of a story, including when to pause or emphasize certain points. Older children may even notice that you pause at a period or exclaim at an exclamation point.
Identify any print in pictures. Although the focus here is the printed words making up the story, there may be pictures that contain words, too. For example, a book may have a sign that says STOP! These also offer great opportunities for print referencing. The key here is to identify the actual words used within the picture, as some children may be able to recognize the picture’s meaning without necessarily recognizing the words themselves.
Look for letters and sight words they recognize. As children develop literacy skills, they’ll begin to notice letters and words they’ve seen before. Encourage them to point out any they remember or recognize. You can also engage them with the text by asking questions like, “How many As do you see on this page?” or “Can you spot any letters you know?”
Print Referencing with Mo Willems’ Books
You can (and should) use print referencing with practically any picture book on your children’s shelves, but New York Times bestselling author-illustrator Mo Willems has written some of the best ones for pointing out words during read-aloud sessions. Willems borrows classic comic-book elements like speech bubbles and strips of illustrations with integrated text, and adapts them perfectly for the very youngest audiences. The simple, eye-catching pictures and easy-to-read print offer many opportunities to practice print referencing.
So what are you waiting for? Grab a Willems book—anything from the Elephant & Piggie series will serve perfectly, as will one of the popular Pigeon books—warm up your index finger, and get print referencing!
Resources for Parents:
The official Mo Willems website: Learn more about the author and his book collection, plus find suggested activities to go along with the stories.
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The book traces the jagged rise of the iconic writer, from a spunky young girl soaking up the front-porch tales of her neighbors in Eatonville, Florida, to a brilliant storyteller and conservator of black culture, language, and experience in her own right as an adult.
Williams nods to the landscapes, people, and circumstances along the author’s uphill journey, but Hurston seems to provide her own momentum, leaping toward new places, experiences, and dreams without undue concern that she could fall to the ground. Rather, the book recounts how she took her mother’s encouragement to “jump at the sun” to heart—to Howard University to Harlem to Haiti and beyond, with little more than gumption to sustain her.
My husband and I named our daughter, Zora, after the pioneering writer, so I was thrilled to discover a book that could extend her knowledge of her namesake’s life and legacy.
Now nine years old, our Zora was enamored with the book from its opening pages. Beyond the obvious enjoyment she took in seeing her name repeated so many times in print, our Zora said she was inspired by Hurston’s ability to overcome obstacle after obstacle in the pursuit of her dreams. It’s true that the brilliant writer kept “jumping” in circumstances that would have narrowed most folks’ vision to just clawing out an existence on the ground.
Hurston’s legacy as a literary powerhouse blazes on with this biography for young readers. Fans of all ages can return to the book again and again to contemplate the questions it raises about familial obligation, the high cost of education, independence and patronage in the arts, the preservation of cultural heritage, and more. And parents in particular will love its poignant depiction of how a mother’s encouragement can provide lifelong inspiration.
Why do you think a Hurston biography is fitting for young audiences? Do you have a favorite biography that you read as a child or to a child?
Do you catch yourself scrolling mindlessly on Instagram before bed or in the carpool line? Good news: You can turn your scrolling into a literacy-building activity for your kids! In a happy, literary corner of the internet, #bookstagram accounts offer an easy way to find reading recommendations and discover new authors.
Instead of the clothing hauls and makeup tips many online influencers share, “bookfluencers” are a vast collection of literacy advocates, book lovers, parents, and educators offering reviews and “book shelfies.”
With more than 50 million posts under the hashtag #bookstagram on Instagram, there are endless accounts to discover. We rounded up some of our favorites that share kids’ reads, so you can scroll and support your child’s literacy at the same time.
Here Wee Read – @hereweeread
Charnaie Gordon’s background is in computer programming but literacy is clearly her passion. The manager behind the popular Here Wee Read and 50 States by 50 Books accounts, Gordon also hosts a “bookish podcast dedicated to celebrating diverse and inclusive books for kids and adults.”
On Here Wee Read, you can find themed lists of children’s books—like “10 Black History Board Books for Tiny Readers”—along with peeks inside her favorite picture books and book-themed giveaways. Gordon says that, rather than “othering” diverse books or promoting books just for girls or for boys, she hopes her accounts foster the idea that all books are for everyone.
Helping Kids Rise – @helpingkidsrise
If you’re building a more inclusive home library, Helping Kids Rise is a great source of inspiration. Since 2016, the account has been sharing children’s books that “educate, empower, and affirm,” so you have years’ worth of recommendations to add to your shopping cart or library waitlist. Here, you’ll find books for all ages that feature role models and trailblazers throughout history.
Indigenous Bookshelf – @indigenousbookshelf
The Indigenous Bookshelf Instagram account highlights books by American Indigenous authors, with a focus on amplifying these voices in literature. While the account doesn’t exclusively feature children’s books, it frequently recommends picture books and middle-grade titles, offering a valuable resource for parents, educators, and young readers. The account also shares insights into Indigenous-owned bookstores, encouraging followers to support Native American businesses. Through well-curated recommendations, Indigenous Bookshelf promotes authentic representation in literature, helping to broaden the understanding of these cultures and stories across all age groups.
Maya Lê – @MaiStoryBookLibrary
Maya Lê’s Instagram account is a treasure trove for parents, educators, and book lovers, especially those seeking to expand their children’s literary world. With a focus on reviewing children’s picture books, Maya consistently highlights stories by diverse authors and illustrators, offering readers a rich selection of voices and perspectives. She regularly curates themed booklists, making it easy for her followers to discover new titles that align with their interests or specific topics they want to explore with young readers. Maya also shares engaging content on her YouTube channel and offers creative activities on Teachers Pay Teachers, making it easy for families and educators to deepen the reading experience. Her account is a valuable resource for promoting diverse storytelling and fostering a love of reading in young children.
Vera Ahiyya – @thetututeacher
Vera Ahiyya is an educator and children’s book author known for promoting inclusive and anti-bias education. On her social media accounts she shares books, classroom ideas, tips for educators, and resources focused on building empathy, community, and diversity in education. Vera has written a wide variety of children’s books, including You Have a Voice, which encourages children to speak up for themselves and others. Her work emphasizes the importance of social-emotional learning and antiracist education, helping children feel confident in their identities while fostering positive change through the power of their voices.
Megan Reid – @ihaveabook4that
Megan Reid’s Instagram account offers a fresh and thoughtful approach to discovering children’s books. She specializes in recommending stories that open up important conversations, from celebrating diversity to exploring emotions. Megan’s carefully compiled selections help parents find books that not only entertain but also encourage learning and connection. Whether you’re searching for bedtime stories, tales that spark imagination, or books that reflect different cultures, her recommendations are accessible and meaningful. Following her account gives parents a reliable resource for finding stories that enrich their children’s reading experience and foster a love of books.
The Kid Lit Mama – @thekidlitmama
Elizabeth Mundt, aka The Kid Lit Mama, shares colorful videos on social media that share great children’s books resources. Parents and educators can expect lively, carefully selected content that inspires kids to dive into stories. While her videos are a highlight, she also offers additional resources and tips through her blog, making her platform an all-around valuable tool for fostering a love of reading.
Reading With Red + the Magpie – @readingwithredandthemagpie
Run by a homeschooling mother of two, this account shares inclusive book recommendations, often centered around themes of identity, environmentalism, and civil and social rights. Her thoughtfully chosen reading selections create opportunities for important conversations with children about the world around them. This account is a wonderful resource for parents seeking to broaden their kids’ perspectives and foster a love for books that promote social awareness and responsibility.
Maya Smart – @mayasmarty
Don’t forget to check out MayaSmart.com on Instagram! Connect with Maya to scroll through our latest literacy activities for parents and kids, to celebrate authors with us, to get book reccs, and much more. Our mission is to help your family read well to live well. Whether you’re expecting your first child or are well along in your parenting journey, we’re here to help you raise strong readers who will change the world.
Finally, also be sure to follow your local library if it’s on Instagram! So many have accounts with book recommendations and updates about community events like story times or book clubs.
P.S. Did you add one or two … or maybe 20 … books to your wish list after checking out these accounts? Consider getting them from a local bookstore or a black bookstore.
By Karen Williams
As we spend more time at home, it’s increasingly common to feel isolated and lonely. Many of us, parents and children included, are spending less time socializing with our friends and families, and more time feeling more disconnected from others. This is especially true for older adults, particularly those in assisted living facilities and nursing homes.
If you’re looking for an easy at-home literacy activity for your child, writing a letter or card to a senior is a perfect opportunity! Not only does it offer great motivation and practice for your budding writer, but it’ll also help make isolation a little easier to bear for someone who could use a friend. In the process, it builds kindness and mindfulness in children, allowing them to experience the transformative power of serving others.
If you don’t have a senior in mind already (or have a prolific letter-writer ready for more correspondents), there are several organizations that connect children to seniors and others who may be lonely. See the end of this post for a list of groups.
Who Benefits When Kids Write Letters to Seniors?
Everyone! There’s just something special about receiving a handwritten note or card in the mail. Letters can hold a sentimental place in our hearts, and unlike emails or texts, recipients can put them on display to cherish. For seniors who are isolated, receiving a hand-written note also shows that someone out there cares and took time to make something to brighten their day.
For children, letter writing is an engaging activity that lets them explore their creativity and learn to express themselves. My daughter loved to review her finished letters with pride as she prepared to share her creations with friends and loved ones. Along the way, they’re building and practicing key literacy skills.
Crafting cards and letters requires kids to create words and pictures, organize them in a meaningful way, and successfully communicate ideas to others. As your child sits down to compose a letter, they’ll practice handwriting, vocabulary, spelling, and self-expression.
Writing letters to seniors is also a great way for kids to give back from the comfort of their homes, as they learn the value of empathy and service through connecting with others. Getting out of their own heads, gaining perspective, experiencing gratitude, and learning the joy of giving will contribute to their own mental health and resilience for years to come—not to mention making them better citizens of our world.
Suggested Topics
The best part about this literacy activity is that your child can be creative! Even the youngest kids can participate, by drawing a picture and signing their name. Here are some topic suggestions to get your little pen pal started:
- Draw or color a picture to share your artistic talent.
- Share an original poem or short story.
- Talk about a recent event that was important to you.
- Send a card to celebrate a holiday.
- Recap your favorite book.
- Share a special memory or story.
Letter-Writing Organizations
If you’re writing to a senior through an organization, be sure to check their guidelines before you begin. Some offer one-way communication only, for example, and some request that you exclude the date. Others specify only cheerful, encouraging notes to lift a recipient’s spirits.
Love For Our Elders was founded in 2013 by a teenager inspired by his grandfather. To honor his grandpa’s memory, the teen started volunteering at nursing homes. He began writing handwritten letters to residents with no visitors. Since then, his one-person mission has grown to more than 50,000 volunteers across 70 countries working together to fight loneliness with love. Love for our Elders also created “Letter to an Elder Day,” celebrated each year on February 26.
More Love Letters is an international organization that uses the power of social media to get people to write and mail love letters to people in need all over the world. Volunteer writers can read nominations of recipients and choose which to respond to. You also can nominate someone who needs a little love and support.
Saffron and Shreya Patel founded Letters Against Isolation in early April 2020. As teenagers who had been calling their self-isolating grandparents every day, they sought to spread some joy to residents of assisted living facilities and care homes. Every other week, you’ll get a spreadsheet where you can sign up to send letters to care homes in the U.S. and abroad. Your kids can write as many letters as they like!
