Tampa, FL (February 14, 2017) – More than 15.5 million seniors in America live alone and face isolation due to declining mobility and geographic location. That’s 1 in 5 seniors suffering from loneliness and isolation. To help combat the negative effects of isolation, DoSomething.org, the largest organization for young people and social change, has teamed up with Meals on Wheels America, the oldest and largest national organization supporting community-based senior nutrition programs, for the fourth annual Love Letters campaign.
Tampa seniors served by Meals On Wheels of Tampa are set to receive handmade Valentine’s Day cards created by youth volunteers from across the country this Valentine’s Day. The agency has also received hundreds of valentines from local groups and clubs.
“The outpouring of support we receive from our community in terms of handmade cards around the holidays, like Valentine’s Day, is overwhelming and beautiful. It is just one more reminder that simple acts, like this, right in your own community, can really brighten someone’s day. This means the world to them, to know that someone else is thinking about them, it brings a tear to my eye,” Steve King, Executive Director at Meals On Wheels of Tampa.
The popular campaign, encouraging young people to create handmade Valentine’s Day cards to lift the spirits of older adults this winter, runs through February 15, 2017 and cards will be included in meal deliveries to Meals On Wheels clients across the country.
“Love Letters is one of DoSomething.org’s most popular campaigns because young people get to use their creativity to help brighten older adults’ day during a peak time of isolation and depression,” said Michelle Fino, Chief Marketing Officer at DoSomething.org.
Since 2014, the popular campaign has generated nearly one million cards that have been distributed through Meals on Wheels America’s network of local programs, which serves 2.4 million homebound seniors each year. The support of this network provides is critical to helping them maintain enough independence to stay in their own homes.
Visit www.dosomething.org/loveletters to get involved.
About Meals On Wheels of Tampa:
Meals On Wheels of Tampa has been committed to nourishing and enriching the independent lives of the homebound and seniors of Tampa since 1975. Today, Meals On Wheels of Tampa serves over 700 people with a hot meal during the lunch hour. Meals On Wheels of Tampa is a 4-star charity and relies on its community for support by not accepting government funding. For more information, visit www.MOWTampa.org.
About Meals on Wheels America
Meals on Wheels America is the oldest and largest national organization supporting the more than 5,000 community-based senior nutrition programs across the country that are dedicated to addressing senior hunger and isolation. This network exists in virtually every community in America and, along with more than two million volunteers, delivers the nutritious meals, friendly visits and safety checks that enable America’s seniors to live nourished lives with independence and dignity. By providing funding, leadership, research, education and advocacy support, Meals on Wheels America empowers its local member programs to strengthen their communities, one senior at a time. For more information, or to find a Meals on Wheels provider near you, visit www.mealsonwheelsamerica.org.
About DoSomething.org
DoSomething.org is the largest tech company exclusively for young people and social change. We’re activating 5.5 million young people (and counting!) to make positive change, online and off, in every US zip code and in over 131 countries. When you join DoSomething, you join something bigger than yourself. You team up with the young people who have clothed half of America’s youth in homeless shelters. And cleaned up 3.7 million cigarette butts from the streets. And run the largest youth-led sports equipment drive in the world. And more! You’ve got the power and the passion to make an impact — we’ll help you get it done. Welcome to DoSomething. Let’s Do This.
About Meals On Wheels of Tampa:
Meals On Wheels of Tampa has been committed to nourishing and enriching the independent lives of the homebound and seniors of Tampa since 1975. Today, Meals On Wheels of Tampa serves over 700 people with a hot meal during the lunch hour. Meals On Wheels of Tampa is a 4-star charity and relies on its community for support by not accepting government funding.
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