Westwind Elementary 2nd-5th Graders wrote letters to nursing home residents this past week in honor of Nation Letter to an Elder Day. Qualimetra Chapman, the counselor at Westwind, spearheaded this project with the help of Melissa Trinidad and Shelsy Franco, support staff at Westwind. 

We learned more about this amazing project from Mrs. Chapman herself. See her responses below. 

Q: Where did the idea of having the students write letters to nursing homes come from 

Chapman: National Letter to an Elder Day was established in 2020. We have a parent, Rena Sanchez, who works at Garrison Nursing Home. I spoke with her at the holiday luncheon, and she talked about how passionate she was about the families she served. I asked her if there were any needs the nursing home had that the student council could help with. She said no at that moment, but she would come back if she thought of anything. She stopped by in early February and asked about handwritten letters for the residents. 

Q: What nursing homes received the letters?  

Chapman: Garrison Nursing Home 

Q: Why did you think it was important for students to write these letters? 

Chapman: Many in the nursing homes have felt a new level of isolation due to Covid 19 restrictions. Writing letters is a simple gesture that can have a large impact. One can feel loved through words, so I thought it was important for our students to participate. 

Q: What was your goal with this activity? 

Chapman: My goal was to collect 300 handwritten letters that would put a smile on the residents’ faces. I hoped we could send three letters to each person that they could enjoy. 

Q: What were the reactions of the students and nursing home residents?  

Chapman: Students were excited but nervous about writing the letters. They wanted to do a good job and encourage the residents. Initially, they were confused about the why, but once they understood the letters were going to nursing home residence, they felt a since of pride. The residence will receive the letters on February 26th, 2022, because that is National Letter to an Elder Day. 

Q: What is National Letter to an Elder Day? 

Chapman: National Letter to an Elder Day was founded by a nonprofit organization, Love for Our Elders. If anyone just wants to write a letter to an elder, they can visit loveforourelders.org