National Letter to an Elder Day - February 26
Sun Feb 26th

National Letter To An Elder Day

Every year, the National Letter to an Elder Day, encourages pen to paper and writing to an elder you know. The day serves to remind loved ones that they love hearing from us and that a simple letter brightens their day.

Everyone knows that writing is a great way to stay connected. You know what a boost it can be if you've ever received an unexpected letter. Letter to an Elder Day takes the unexpected gift one step farther and shares that love to the elders in our family or those who may be lonely from others.

How to osberve #letterstoanelderday tonnelderday

  • Write a letter to an elder
  • As many letters as possible, Host, a letter-writing group, will write as many letters as possible
  • Write a classroom letter-writing assignment
  • Visit Love for Our Elders to sign their letter-writing campaign
  • Send a handmade card
  • To join the discussion, use #LettersToAnElder on social media

National letters to an elder day's an elder day's history

In 2020, Love for Our Elders was founded in the United States in order to encourage handwritten letters to elders from all around the country. A young boy and his grandpa's adventure begins. As Jacob Cramer lost his grandfather, he began volunteering at a local senior living facility as a way of honoring his memory. He was affectionately referred to as "Bingo Boy" by his entertaining and lively way of describing the community's bingo game (a much-heated affair, as he's sure to tell you). While volunteering, Jacob discovered that many of the residents never received emails or visits from family and friends, and that loneliness was a persistent and ever-present problem.

So Jacob decided to start writing letters of love to senior populations; his moniker changed from Bingo Boy to Letter Boy quickly. He found grace and compassion in his friendships with his seniors in the senior community and then decided to expand his letter-writing efforts nationally. Jacob founded a non that encouraged people to write letters to elders (or anyone else in need who is older than them) and assisted seniors around the world. Since 2013, Jacob and his staff have amassed an army of 50,000+ letter writers around the world.

They branched out to gather video messages of hope, love, and encouragement, as well as engaging individuals, classrooms, and businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. On February 26, the National Letter to an Elder Day is held on an Elder Day in honor of Jacob's grandmother, Doris, who died on February 26.

Letters FAQ

Q. Can I just send a card?

A. You can send a card, but Love for Our Elders requires that you write a letter, too. Make an attempt to write multiple sentences.

Q. Can I write a poem?

Yes! Yes! Be as innovative as you want to be. However, Love for Our Elders insists that you don't use glitter. We completely agree!

Q. Can I send the letter to someone I know?

Yes! Yes! If you don't know who to send the letter to, the Love for Our Elders website will direct you to someone to write your letter to.

Is February 26th the only day I should send a letter to an elder?

A. No. A. No. A. No. This year-round initiative encourages you to write and keep writing to our elders.