At Merrill Gardens, we believe in creating connections and sharing experiences across generations. With incredible teamwork and creativity, we were able to introduce an Adopt-A-Grandparent program across our communities giving residents the opportunity to share their knowledge with pen pals from another generation.
One of our communities in Santa Cruz (CA) was lucky to partner with the students at Mission Middle School. The entire student body got involved - creating amazing postcards filled with heartwarming stories and creative drawings.
So far, over 100 residents have been able to participate! It's fantastic to see all of the smiles that these messages bring and even more exciting to see the beginnings of these intergenerational friendships.
Merrill Gardens at First Hill (WA) recently received a huge surprise, as a young girl named Allie got together with her friends and wrote letters to every resident! Alongside the wonderful messages, they also delivered gorgeous flowers and even made a pop-up card for a very special birthday. This was the perfect gift for Dorothy's 101st birthday!
A resident at Merrill Gardens at Gilroy (CA) has also been paired up with a pen pal! From pages of writing to adorable photos, it's truly touching to see all of the effort that goes into each message.
If you would like to register to be part of the program or know of someone who would love a new pen pal, please check out the link below!