ROCK SPRINGS — There have been many opportunities during the COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic to exercise kindness towards others. Wyoming First Lady Jennie Gordon had that in mind when she helped develop a program focused on reaching out to seniors throughout the state.
The Cards for Seniors program aims to send hand-crafted letters to individuals living at senior centers in hopes of bringing a smile to their faces. After hearing about senior centers being locked down due to the pandemic, the First Lady along with Governor Mark Gordon came up with the idea to ask the public to send in letters which would then be distributed and delivered around the state.
With 40 senior centers participating, the First Lady’s office received and sent out over 5,000 cards during the first run of the program back in the spring. A good chunk of those cards came from organizations like the Boys and Girls Club of Sweetwater County (BGCSC) who helped to make sure every senior who requested a card got one.
“This was a wonderful way to reach out to all of our seniors in our state and by using organizations, such as Boys and Girls Clubs to meet those needs,” First Lady of Wyoming Chief of Staff Trista Orstrom said.
Seeing the positive effects from the program, the First Lady decided it would be a cause worth pursuing again. However, instead of asking for cards to be mailed in, Boys and Girls Clubs around the state are being partnered up with their local senior centers to handle the requests within their respective communities. The first club to offer their helping hand and partner with the First Lady was the BGCSC, which pledged to make cards at least twice a year.
The BGCSC will make and deliver cards to Castle Rock Rehabilitation Center and the Villas, Sage View Care Center, Young at Heart Senior Center, Deer Trail Assisted Living and Golden Hour Senior Center.
“We’ll just send them little postcards and different things like that to the people that are there as a way to reach out and keep seniors connected,” BGCSC CEO Lisa Stewart said.
With the number of seniors fluctuating throughout the county, Stewart said that the BGCSC will expect to make around 100 cards each time they deliver the hand-written messages.
Those interested in being a part of the program, but aren’t part of an organization can contact the First Lady’s office directly where they will help connect individuals with their efforts.
