Hope Delivered

By Leah Aulisio-Sharpe ’22, February 4, 2022

Ithaca College Gerontology Department’s card campaign spreads cheer through the holidays.

Students and staff members filled out the holiday cards with messages of warmth and cheer.

(Photo by Ashley Bohn)

The holiday season is the perfect time to show others how much they mean to you, and this past season, members of the Ithaca College community created a new way to do that with residents of the Longview Senior Living Community, by sending handwritten holiday cards.

Assistant professor of gerontology Jessica Valdez Taves, who also serves as the college’s Longview partnership coordinator, initially came up with the card campaign during the spring 2021 semester. With the coronavirus pandemic still limiting opportunities for in-person activities, Taves wanted to keep the relationship between the college and Longview strong.

“We still wanted to reach out to let our friends at Longview know we are thinking of them,” she said. “Loneliness and depression have more substantially impacted young adults and the older adult population, so finding ways to support one another is crucial.”

Throughout the semester, Taves received overwhelmingly positive feedback from the Longview residents. Inspired to keep the exchange going, she invited the IC community to partake in the exchange for the holiday season.

“Small gestures like sending cards give people something to be excited about and bring them a smile if nothing else. It's important to spread kindness to others.”

Sage Dobransky '21

The college’s Center for Print Production donated cards and envelopes to be used in the project, while students quickly began to engage in the campaign as word spread across campus. Sage Dobransky ’20 gathered with several of her student co-workers to create cards for the project. After taking several gerontology courses during her time on campus, she felt especially inspired to give back.

“While it's not the case for everyone, talking to various people in the past I know that they can feel isolated and alone at times,” said Dobransky. “The holidays are such an exciting time filled with lots of love but for that same reason, they can be really hard for people too.”

The card campaign has allowed for students and faculty to build and maintain relationships old and new, and the relationship flows both directions. Some senders included their contact information with the cards and have received responses.

The card campaign will carry on into the spring semester and continue to show support for the Longview community.

“Small gestures like sending cards give people something to be excited about and bring them a smile if nothing else,” Dobransky said. “It's important to spread kindness to others.”