Bonny Barth, Educational Assistant and long-time volunteer, was moved by the images of seniors on the news, isolated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I think what really touched me was the pictures of seniors, stuck behind windows, unable to be with their loved ones,” Barth said.
Initially, she thought about asking Innisfil residents to gather outside the Lakeside Retirement Residence in Alcona, to cheer the staff and residents – similar to an initiative carried out in Barrie – but Lakeside’s administration was concerned that it wouldn’t be possible to maintain social distancing with the facility’s residents, who liked to go outside.
“They didn’t feel it was safe,” Barth said, “so I thought, what else could we do?”
She came up with a ‘Caring Card’ Campaign, asking residents to write greeting cards that she could deliver to residents and staff – “Just kind of ‘brighten your day, thinking of you’ positive messages.”
Her plan was to collect the cards, sanitize them at home for several days, then deliver them to Lakeside Retirement, to be handed out.
It’s a campaign that has developed “legs,” said Innisfil Coun. Ken Fowler. Not only have students and staff at Nantyr Shores Secondary School become involved, Fowler and his son Gabe decided to build a special “Caring Cards” mailbox, that was installed this weekend at Innisfil Community Church, with the blessing of Pastor Howard Courtney.
Gabe also worked on the 'Lakeside Home Cards' sign, now in place in front of the mailbox. “He got the ruler out,” said Fowler, measuring carefully to ensure the letters were straight, as part of his school’s “21 days of positivity.”
Barth and Fowler are hoping that residents of Innisfil and beyond will embrace the campaign and look through their stationery drawers to find greeting cards, or make hand-made drawings and cards to cheer up isolated seniors, and drop the cards in the mailbox outside the church.
Even before the mailbox was installed, Barth received a number of cards, dropped off at her home. By Saturday morning, she had 22 – but she’s hoping for many more, before it’s time to make the delivery.
Barth has a lot of empathy for the seniors, many of whom are confused and overwhelmed by the current pandemic. A cancer survivor, “I’ve been through some tough stuff in my life,” she said. “This picks me right up.”
