How The My Dear Friend Campaign Has Impacted Seniors
Olivia N., Bay Port High School Chapter Public Relations Officer, shares stories of how the #MyDearFriend campaign taught her how big of an impact she could make on the seniors.
As a GlamourGals member who holds a leadership position, I was able to go above and beyond serving seniors in my community through my GlamourGals experience. Over my years in GlamourGals, I’ve made over 300 cards for our “My Dear Friend” card campaigns. That’s 300 seniors that feel a little less alone because of my contribution. A specific event that sticks out to me was our Winter Card Campaign. I made 40 cards, but I worked on something specific this time around. I wanted to write longer, more personalized notes. When going in-person and doing a makeover for the seniors they love to hear about “you,” so in every single one of the cards I made, I wrote a different note about what I am doing during the winter season, and I asked them what they were doing! That campaign made me feel even closer to the seniors, and I hoped that it made them feel a little less alone.
Making cards, nail painting, and conversations with seniors have taught me that no kind act is too small. During a makeover, I painted a woman named Mary Alice’s nails, and she shared with me her wisdom, her kindness, and her funny stories. During the event, she said that she thinks the manicure was the nicest thing anyone has ever done for her. The feeling I got in my heart was unforgettable and has influenced my day to day interactions with everyone. I walk every day of life with a bigger feeling of kindness. From my GG experience I learned that it is very important to be kind to everyone because you never know what they are going through.
There are a large number of senior citizens living in nursing homes in my community that experience feelings of isolation and loneliness everyday. GlamourGals is able to provide multiple opportunities for me to reach out to my community and change those feelings into ones of happiness and friendship. Cards that our GG chapter makes are sometimes the only kind message that seniors in our community will receive, especially during COVID when visiting was restricted. We always knew that our chapter’s efforts were important, but when restrictions for our community were removed and we were able to visit them in-person, it became clearer. When I entered the nursing home for our chapter’s first in-person makeover, the seniors were quiet, somewhat keeping to themselves. However, it didn’t take long for us to feel like we made new friends. We couldn’t wait to see each other again. I cherish that feeling everyday, and I feel so lucky that I get to share that with them. Many seniors mentioned that our visit was the kindest thing they had experienced in a long time, some even saying it was the nicest thing someone has ever done for them. Our GlamourGals chapter is a beneficial asset to the senior living communities and its members, but, in return, it has a positive impact on my school community as well. Our GG members are able to learn beneficial skills of creativity, communication, adaptation, and kindness that help keep our community moving and the world turning.
