AARP Eye Center
How You Can Be A Part of The Cupid Crew
- Make A Card: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Cupid Crew 2021 is a bit different this year! Instead of delivering roses to senior communities, we are asking all interested volunteers to download, print and decorate cards for seniors on Valentine’s Day.
- Film Your Kids Making Cards: We are looking for staff volunteers with school-aged children at home who would be willing to film their children creating Cupid Crew cards. The video would be used for media stories and promotion of Cupid Crew. Please note this is voluntary, and if you choose to participate, we must ask you to sign waivers on behalf of your children. We are looking to film volunteers between January 21-29. If you are interested, please email Natalie Sauls.
- Tell Your Friends: Share the link to our Cupid Crew page with friends and family and invite them to download, decorate and deliver cards. We’d love to have them join the Cupid Crew movement! Spread the word even further by posting pictures or videos of your card creation on social media. Don’t forget to tag #CupidCrew.
Background on Cupid Crew
Leading up to Valentine’s Day, Wish of a Lifetime from AARP (WOL) will run its annual Cupid Crew initiative, a volunteer-driven, nationwide effort to combat social isolation among older adults in residential care settings across the country. In previous years, Cupid Crew galvanized thousands of volunteers to deliver roses to residents of senior centers, nursing homes, and other residential care settings. In light of the pandemic, WOL changed the program for 2021, and will collaborate with Girl Scouts and volunteers across the country to safely deliver tens of thousands of homemade Valentine’s Day cards to older adults in residential care centers who have been isolated from loved ones due to COVID-19.
AARP will promote this initiative and a consumer call to action to "Join the movement and send some love this Valentine’s Day!"
Partnering With Girl Scouts and Others
This year, Wish of a Lifetime’s Cupid Crew is teaming up with Girl Scouts of the USA, local partners, and schools across the country to create and send heartfelt cards to tens of thousands of older adults who may need a little extra love this Valentine’s Day.
Each year, Cupid Crew empowers thousands of volunteers across the country to reach out to older adults on Valentine’s Day, creating intergenerational connections and sending messages of care and kindness to help combat the negative effects of social isolation.
Want to get involved and be a part of the Cupid Crew? Get on board the Cupid Crew.
Cupid Crew - Frequently Asked Questions
How can I safely get involved with Cupid Crew 2021?
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Cupid Crew 2021 is a bit different this year! Instead of delivering roses to senior communities, we are asking all interested volunteers to download, print and decorate cards for seniors on Valentine’s Day. Based on the number of cards you complete, you can drop them off at a senior community near you, a neighbor’s house, or mail them to an older adult in your life. Please make sure to follow COVID-19 guidelines, including wearing a mask, never entering a home during a delivery, wearing gloves during the delivery and staying 6 feet apart from anybody you encounter. If you are dropping cards off at a residence or senior living community, simply leave a box of cards outside, return to a safe distance and call your main point of contact to let them know the cards have been dropped off.
How can I get friends and family involved with this movement?
Share the link to our Cupid Crew page with friends and family and invite them to download, decorate and deliver cards. We’d love to have them join the Cupid Crew movement! Spread the word even further by posting pictures or videos of your card creation on social media. Don’t forget to tag #CupidCrew.
What should I include in my card?
Consider adding an inspirational quote, a poem, or a friendly message wishing a senior a Happy Valentine’s Day, letting them know they are not alone and that their community is thinking of them. As long as the card is appropriate and stays away from political references or inappropriate jokes, sayings or drawings, you can’t go wrong! Be creative and have fun.
How many cards can I decorate?
We invite you to print and decorate as many cards as you can! The more the merrier. We hope that our volunteers will each complete and send at least five cards!
Where do I deliver cards to?
Once you have completed printing and designing your cards, you can make sure the cards are in the right hands. It is up to you to decide where you would like to deliver these cards. Once you decide where you would like to deliver your cards, whether it be a local senior community or a friend’s house, simply call in advance and let them know when you are dropping the cards off. If you do not have any senior contacts and want to get involved, simply Google search senior living communities and ask the front desk if you can deliver. Odds are very high that they will be thrilled to accept! Keep in mind that we recommend delivering the cards before February 14th and that each senior should get one card, which means if we finish many cards, you can drop off to more places.
What does it cost to participate?
Nothing! As long as you have a printer, you are free to decorate and drop off as many cards as you want. If you want to mail cards, you will be responsible for postage.
I really enjoyed decorating cards, what other volunteer opportunities does Wish of a Lifetime have?
Thanks for your interest in volunteering with Wish of a Lifetime. To learn more please email cupidcrew@wishofalifetime.org
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