Letters For Rose is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping bring smiles to elders during the pandemic.

The organization was founded in June 2020 by Annika and Layla, two teenagers from Montclair, New Jersey. What started as a local project has turned into something much bigger. Currently there are 160+ chapters around the world. Chapters are based on cities, each chapter consists of a leadership team. The team’s goal is to connect with nursing homes and get volunteers to write letters or make artwork. Each leadership member has an important role that helps the chapter run smoothly. There are chapters in the United States, Europe, Asia, Canada, Puerto Rico and Haiti. In total there are 2,000+ team members, and 4,000+ volunteers (As of May 2021)

How you can get involved:

High School students can write letters or make artwork for LFR to earn community service hours. Oregon just established their very first chapter in Beaverton. Getting started is easy: You fill out the volunteer form and are contacted soon after with information from a team member. They will let you know details on who you’re assigned to and any other information you may need to know. There are several ways to deliver your letter/artwork once you finish. 

If you are located in Beaverton, someone will be able to pick it up from your house. There are also drop off locations listed in the google form that you can take your work to once you finish. Volunteers can also mail in their letters and artwork to the mailing address on the form. Last resort would be to digitally submit and one of the team members will physically write it out.

Why you should get involved:  

Volunteering with LFR is a great way to get involved with your community. A lot of the elders in these homes are lonely especially with Covid and stricter restrictions. In Oregon visits inside are only allowed if there hasn’t been an outbreak in 14 days. It also depends on the county’s level of covid spread. Since it varies depending on location this is a great opportunity to give the residents something to smile about. 

Writing letters or making artwork helps them feel loved, noticed and it brightens up their day more than you can imagine. In addition to helping elders, the community service hours are helpful since it’s harder to find service opportunities this year. 

For specific updates/information on the Oregon chapter:

Visit their instagram: @lettersforroseor

If you want to use this as a service hour opportunity fill out this form: Volunteer Form

Overall updates/information: 

Visit the main instagram: @lettersforrose

Website: lettersforrose.org