Pen Pal Project

GUIDELINES FOR PANDEMIC PEN PAL PROGRAM – Letter to seniors and elders in Long-Term Care Homes

Who can write a letter:

Anyone! We would especially love children, youth and their families to volunteer to participate in this campaign.

How to write a letter:

For a more old-school pen pal experience, handwritten notes are encouraged. However, to prevent exposure to germs, the handwritten letters must be scanned or photographed and sent to bbbsyukon@gmail.com  to be forwarded to the care facility. Letters may also be typed as a Word document or in an email and sent to bbbsyukon@gmail.com. We would also welcome drawings, comics and illustrations! BBBSY and Volunteer Yukon staff will coordinate the sending of the letters to the various care facilities in Yukon.

Letters will be sent to coordinators at each participating facility where letters will be distributed to residents.  Our hope is to have responses from the residents to send back to folks!

What to put in a letter:

It is up to you to decide how much personal information you want to include in your letter.  Here are some suggestions of what you could write about:

  1. Describe a little about yourself; your likes, dislikes, favourite subjects, activities
  2. Tell them about a mentor or volunteer in your life and what that relationship means to you.
  3. Talk about how you are passing the days while not in school or working regular hours.
  4. Ask about them – what do they like to do, do they have grandchildren etc.
  5. Share an encouraging message, poem or quote.
  6. Ask them who their heroes were when they were growing up (and tell them about yours).
  7. Ask them what life advice they would pass along to children, youth and adults today.
  8. Send a joke or riddle.
  9. Share Yukon Nuggets or trivia.
  10. Send a shared colouring page (one person colours a bit and sends it for the other person to add to)
  11. Take turns composing new bars to a collaborative song (one person writes a bar of music and sends it for the other person to add to)

How to address the letter:

Because we do not know which resident will receive a letter, start the letter with Dear Friend, until you get a note back with their name.

You can sign the letter with your first name or if you prefer, your friend.

Be kind and have fun!

Ben Johnston-Urey, Executive Director                                              Bruno Bourdache, Executive Director

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Yukon                                                         Volunteer Bénévoles Yukon

bbbsyukon@gmail.com                                                                           executivedirector@volunteeryukon.ca