A Ravenwood High student is putting smiles on the faces of nursing home residents through her project, Smiles for Seniors.
Sia Kripalani started the project a few weeks ago with the goal of brightening the spirits of nursing home residents by delivering inspirational messages from community members.
“I know that during this hard time they are not allowed to have visitors,” Sia said. “Many of them are confined to their rooms, so they are often lonely. Loneliness is one of the worst feelings in the world, so I want to do anything I can to help them.”
Sia’s idea originally involved video-calling residents, but she decided that writing letters would be the best option after isolation rules became more strict.
“We started reaching out to our community, and so far we’ve gotten a lot of supportive responses,” Sia said. “Many people in our area love the idea, and we have gotten over 300 letters and messages. We have distributed them to three nursing homes.”
Sia and her younger sister, Sonia, have set up collection boxes at the Publix in McKay’s Mill and the PetSmart on Moore’s Lane. Checking the boxes and finding messages is one of her favorite things about the project.
“I am overjoyed when I get to gather handfuls of letters, and I love reading some of the cards that people write,” she said. “There is such a variety of messages, from adorable drawings by 7 year olds to inspiring or hopeful quotes.”
Sia says it’s easy for others to get involved. All they have to do is drop a letter into one of the collection boxes. The messages will be delivered to one of three nursing homes: NHC Place in Cool Springs, Morning Pointe of Brentwood and Claiborne and Hughes Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. However, Sia has plans to include other nursing homes in the Franklin and Brentwood areas.
“You can write a letter, draw a picture or copy a poem,” Sia said. “Just anything to make the seniors feel loved and remembered during this hard time. The goal of this project is to allow people to be creative and have fun, while still helping the community by connecting the seniors to the world outside of their nursing home.”