At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and its corresponding isolation of nursing home residents, one teen in Granby knew he had to do something. “We are here on this earth to help each other,” explained James Crocker, who tries to live his life like that each day. With this in mind, he started a card writing campaign to residents at local nursing homes. “They were not able to have visitors and I knew they were isolated, so I thought this would be a way to reach out.”
James, the organization’s founder, is a 15-year-old sophomore at Granby Memorial High School. He moved to Granby last year from East Granby. He has been described as, “…passionate, successful and determined.” He receives high marks in school and hopes to major in journalism. He also hopes to expand Letters for our Elders into a national organization.
James started his effort with notes or cards that were short “uplifting, encouraging and religious, plus a few with jokes.”
“The response from the nursing homes was so positive and demand for more became overwhelming for just one person to handle,” Crocker explained. He knew he did not want the letter writing to be a one-time effort, so he started a youth group.
A letter writing effort is something he suggests anyone can easily accomplish by simply reaching out to area nursing homes and asking if they accept cards and how many residents they have. Meanwhile, James is already planning on expanding his efforts by turning Letters for our Elders into a nonprofit organization.
If you are interested in supporting this cause, contact James at jamescrocker@lettersforourelders.org