"We made over 500 Valentines this year and my goal is to expand
this project to a national level within the next several
years.........."
"With Love From Friends" --
Valentines for Elders Without Families
Begun in 2008 by Eve Elzenga, interior
designer and community volunteer, the "With Love From Friends"
project -- making homemade Valentines for Rochester area elders
without families -- is held in mid-to-late January each year.
"With Love From Friends" refers to the message written inside
each card.
The purpose of this project is three-fold:
- To make unique/beautiful homemade
Valentines that are distributed to elderly people without
families in the Rochester region. This "remembrance" is a
symbol of both love and respect for elders;
- To introduce creative, compassionate
people to one another to build/strengthen community ties and
goodwill;
- To have fun while being creative.
Eldersouce, a program of LifeSpan,
identifies and distributes the remembrances through their social
worker network. Cards are delivered by social workers directly
to clients in their homes and some are used at parties held for
the neediest of clients.
Feedback from social workers shows that
clients treasure the Valentines. In fact, many of them display
them in their homes year-round.
For 2010 Meals-on-Wheels has been added as
a recipient of cards. Meals-on-Wheels
delivers 800 meals daily to elder clients in Monroe County.
These seniors are without families and are financially
compromised.
This year new friends and advocates have
offered to help: The Association of Interior
Design Professionals of Greater Rochester is coming together for
a day to make Valentines. A professional
commercial baker, Laurie Cargill, has offered to make and
package individual cookies to go with the Eldersource cards.
Girl Scout Troop #391 from Pittsford -- Sierra Meyer, Micaela
Carney and Denise Holmes -- working on their Silver Award
Project about Elders, have adopted the initiative. Rochester
artist Marlene Caroselli is using her romantic fabric art to
create cards. Volunteers who run the art and boutique area of
the Ronald McDonald House Annual Sale are having a Valentine
Making Party. Anne Marie Stote and her 4 year-old son of
Rochester, answered an ad on Craigslist asking for supplies.
They sent an envelope full of hearts they cut out. Jessie,
another generous Craigslist responder, donated 100 Valentine
cards and envelopes, perfect for embellishment.
And like the past two years, Elzenga is
hosting a series of parties at her home, inviting new and old
friends alike to join in the creative fun. But they can't make
enough to fill the need. Her wish is that others in the
community will adopt the idea and coordinate their
Valentine-making parties, utilizing her and the distribution
system she has built. "My fondest hope is that we can remember
all of our seniors without families -- especially those who are
not financially advantaged," Elzenga says.
"Everyone deserves to be remembered, appreciated and loved."
She welcomes e-mails about "With Love from
Friends" and donations of Valentine craft- making supplies (no
children's cards please), bagged Valentine candy or cash
contributions of a dollar to be used for purchasing supplies.
She can be reached at:
meveelzenga@hotmail.com
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