Polk County organizations combat senior loneliness with Valentine's Day cards, hot meals
'Dear Seniors' drive fights loneliness with love
FOX 13's Carla Bayron reports on Viste and Senior Helpers, two Polk County nonprofits that have parented to combat loneliness among elderly people by providing them with meals and cards.
LAKELAND, Fla. - Valentine's Day is all about sharing love with your friends and family, but for the older generation, sometimes they've outlived their loved ones, making the holiday very lonely.
Jon Christensen and his wife Sandi are volunteers with Viste, a Lakeland non-profit that delivers hot meals twice a week to the elderly.
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They mainly focus on frail elderly people who are shut-ins.

Valentine's Day cards made for elderly people.
The backstory:
"It gets to be a routine, and you get to know everybody," said Jon Christensen.
This year, the non-profit partnered with Senior Helpers, a home care agency, to deliver Valentine's Day cards to the seniors with their meals.
The personalized cards were created in schools, businesses, churches, and more.
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"I think it's going to trigger a memory for them and really take them back to the past. Whether that's receiving Valentine's from their children or these cards that come for veterans that have a personal note thanking them for their service and wishing them a Happy Valentine's Day," said Georgiana Goodson, the Community Relations Manager with Senior Helpers.

Senior Helpers volunteer over a table of Valentine's Day cards for elderly people.
The campaign's goal was 3,000 cards, but the community far exceeded expectations.
More than 4,000 cards have been made so far, showing there is a lot of love for the older generation in Polk County.
Dig deeper:
Viste's hot meal program has been around for more than 20 years.

Viste volunteers prepare meals for elderly people.
Ten years ago, the non-profit averaged 285 meals weekly; today, it has increased to 483 meals.
The meals address the issue of nutrition, and the cards address social isolation.
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"Our youngest senior is 70. That's our point of entry. Our eldest is 108," said Steve Bissonnette, Viste's President. "That card reminds people they haven't been forgotten. They're not disconnected from the outside world. In a situation where this may be their only contact for Valentine's."

Viste volunteer putting meals for elderly people in a car.
"It's just heartwarming," said Jon Christensen. "Makes you feel good to get out of the house and do something for somebody else. Someday, we may need this service."
What's next:
Senior Helpers was thrilled with the success of this year's campaign, so they're already making plans for next year to make sure love is shared with those who have loved the longest.
The Source: FOX 13's Carla Bayron collected the information in this story.
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