During the pandemic, many nursing homes have been quarantined from any visitors due to the residents being at high risk. With quarantine, comes feelings of loneliness and isolation, as the patients have not been able to visit with friends and loved ones. Letters for Rose is an organization that was created to combat those feelings. The Letters for Rose website states: “Letters for Rose aims to reduce loneliness among elders during the COVID-19 pandemic by creating and distributing personalized letters, art, and donations for local nursing homes.”
Jozie Cook, a sophomore at Rolla High School, sees potential for a Letters for Rose chapter at RHS.
“It was started by high school sophomores in New Jersey who put together an organization for a nursing home because of COVID. They couldn’t go and volunteer in nursing homes to visit with the residents, so they started writing letters to help,” said Cook.
A Letters for Rose chapter at RHS would provide an opportunity for students to earn service hours, in addition to being an opportunity to connect with members of the community.
“Any nursing homes within 15 minutes of Rolla can be accessed, and there’s no requirement for letters, but the more letters you send, the more service hours you get,” stated Cook.
Cook discovered the organization through social media, and as the organization spread across the country, she decided that she would bring the organization to RHS.
“I found out through TikTok and I was like, ‘Oh, I should join,’” said Cook. “In order to start a chapter in Rolla, we need four people to be the chapter leaders for Rolla, and then we can make it through the school.”
Although Letters for Rose provides a way to keep in contact with people throughout the pandemic, it can be used even as restrictions begin to loosen. Some nursing home residents may have lost contact with friends and family, and receiving letters through this organization may be comforting, as it provides a way to keep in touch with the outside world.
“I think others should join Letters for Rose because it really helps others, and it’s an easy way to get service hours. I want to do it just because I find things like that very interesting, and it holds a place in my heart because my grandparents were in nursing homes,” explained Cook.
Visit the link below to read more about Letters to Rose:
https://www.lettersforrose.org/