By Ventura Breeze Staff –
Local schools create handcrafted Valentine cards for seniors
The Third Annual Project Love is partnering with schools in Ventura, Ojai, Santa Paula, and Oxnard to benefit assisted living communities in Ojai, Ventura, Santa Paula, Fillmore, Oxnard, and Camarillo.
“We saw an opportunity to bridge the generational gap by having local kids in our community handcraft Valentines for seniors in assisted living communities,” said Natallie Uribe, a hospice care specialist at Assisted Home Health & Hospice in Ventura. “Many of these seniors are limited in their ability to celebrate holidays as they once did. Having Valentines made for them brings inclusion into their lives and spreads love through the community. The kids involved in the program also found a sense of joy and accomplishment by spreading kindness to our senior community. The program also aligns perfectly with Assisted Home Health & Hospice’s motto: ‘Hands to Help, Hearts to Care.’”
Elementary students will participate in this year’s Project Love. Schools in Ventura include Montalvo, E.P. Foster, Poinsettia, and Portola. In Ojai, Topa Topa and the Montessori School of Ojai are participating. St. Sebastian School in Santa Paula and St. Anthony’s in Oxnard are also involved. In Camarillo, Cornerstone Christian, Los Posas, and Pleasant Valley School of Engineering and Arts-Early Education Center will join the project.
Participating assisted living communities include:
- Ojai: The Gables of Ojai
- Ventura: Cypress Senior Living, The Lexington Assisted Living, Palms Bonaventure, and Aegis Living
- Oxnard: Glenwood Care Center and Riverpark
- Fillmore: Fillmore Country Club
- Santa Paula: Santa Paula Post Acute
- Camarillo: Oakmont
Uribe described how some seniors have been moved to tears of joy after seeing the handmade cards. “They reminisce about when their children were in elementary school. The cards have messages such as ‘You are wonderful’ and ‘You are special.’ These Valentines shine a light on how kids positively impact the lives of seniors. Through this annual Project Love, we show a continued interest in who these seniors are as individuals,” Uribe added. “We are also eager to listen to them share their history. This project emphasizes the importance of showing respect to our elders.”
Let’s continue to spread love and joy throughout the year.
