Schoolchildren typically receive dozens of Valentine’s Day cards each year from classmates and friends. These colorful notecards are filled with heartfelt messages of encouragement, enthusiasm, positivity and praise.
Adults often just receive one or two cards from loved ones, or perhaps a colleague at work.
Some seniors, unfortunately, do not receive any.
“As children, we are overwhelmed with cards and candy on Valentine’s Day, but so many seniors live by themselves in relative isolation,” said Chris Hansen, CEO of Child Care of Southwest Florida. “Reading a Valentine’s card, even if it’s a simple message, can be a pick-me-up that lasts for the entire day.”
Students attending pre-school programs at several Child Care of Southwest Florida learning centers exercised their creativity and artistic abilities in February to create hundreds of Valentine’s cards for Southwest Florida seniors. The child care provider partnered with Community Cooperative to deliver cards on Valentine’s Day to homebound seniors participating in Meals on Wheels, a program that delivers nutritious meals each day to area residents who are seniors, disabled or chronically ill.
“It is so heartwarming for our Meals on Wheels recipients to know that extra thought, care and love was sent to them for Valentine’s Day,” said Stefanie Ink-Edwards, CEO of Community Cooperative, a nonprofit that delivers innovative food, education and social service programs in Southwest Florida. “These homebound neighbors often live alone with little interaction from the outside world. The smiles these kiddos bring to their faces are priceless!”
The Meals on Wheels program has 32 meal delivery and transport routes in North Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Lehigh Acres and Bonita Springs, supplying daily nutritious home-delivered meals, groceries, pet food and friendly safety and security checks to eligible homebound neighbors who cannot shop or cook for themselves. The volunteer delivery drivers often help their clients celebrate holidays and birthdays with extra treats.
Michael and Linda Obuck began volunteering with Meals on Wheels in 2021 after looking for opportunities to make a difference in the community.
“We just enjoy it, and we see how happy people are to see us,” Michael Obuck said. “It’s really satisfying doing something like this.”
Valentine’s cards that seniors received on Feb. 14 contained handwritten greetings, drawings with crayons and markers, stickers and hearts… lots and lots of hearts.
“That’s a nice treat, that’s for sure,” said Edward Halligan, a Meals on Wheels recipient on the Obuck’s delivery route. “And there are little hearts!”
The Valentine’s card project was the second initiative this winter at the Joseph H. Messina Children’s Center to connect pre-school children with seniors. In December, students created and delivered handmade Christmas cards and gifts at Page Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center, sticking around to sing Christmas carols as residents gathered outside to sing along.
“Many of our students do not have their grandparents nearby, and so many seniors who live in our area don’t have their grandchildren nearby, either,” said Yolanda Vargas, director of the Messina Children’s Center. “We try to teach empathy, compassion and caring, and these projects are a great way to begin building a child’s character from an early age.”
For information about supporting Child Care of Southwest Florida through scholarships or to register a child, please visit CCSWFL.org. For information about volunteering or supporting Meals on Wheels or additional Community Cooperative programs, please visit CommunityCooperative.com.
