Gifts from the heart

The door remains open for youth in the community to spread love to senior adults for Valentine’s Day.

As part of an ongoing annual initiative ,the Sampson-Clinton Public libraries sent out an invitation in early January, urging children and students throughout the county to make a Valentine’s card for senior citizens.

The request was simple — make or write cards, pictures or letters for local senior citizens. Once complete, it need only be delivered to your nearest library where the cards will be distributed to surrounding nursing homes and assisted living centers.

The only requirement from the library is to include the student’s/child’s first name and age on each card.

The call for letters and cards may have gone out earlier in the year, but the chance to make and drop off one is still active.

“Please take this opportunity to have your children or students spread love to our local seniors this year,” urged a post on the Sampson-Clinton Public Library’s social media page. “All letters/cards are due to any Sampson-Clinton Public Library branch by 5 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 7.”

The Valentine’s for Seniors project started in 2022 as just a fun way to help drive youth involvement with their local library and community along with the added value of bringing smiles and offering love to the county’s older residents.

The cards and letters are steadily coming in this year, but Sampson-Clinton Public Library director Kelsey Edwards said the turnout hasn’t matched previous years. She is, however, expecting that to change.

“We haven’t gotten as many yet as in the past, but, we’re expecting more from the schools,” she said. “That said, we welcome as many donations as we can get by Friday at 5 p.m., because even if we have more than we need, we can give people more than one, or sometimes, we’re able to expand and give them to more people in the community.”

Edwards said she doesn’t always get to see all those who receive a card, but from what she hears there’s usually much joy from the reception.

“The seniors, they usually do look forward to getting a card, and some of them are really happy when getting them,” she said. “Sometimes, we don’t see exactly who gets them because we’ll take them to a nursing home (and their staff) distributes them. Even so, we really like doing it because we know it can bring them a smile.”

JC Holliday Library staff member Melanie Smith said she likes engaging students with the project.

“I like doing it with the schools, because it gives the kids a purpose,” Smith stressed. “A lot of times they make stuff in school but nobody ever sees it. With this, they know a real person is going to get that card.”

And as for what made Sampson-Clinton Public Library staff want to start this project, the answer was simple — community involvement.

“It has been done in other places, so we had seen it be done and we just wanted to bring it to this community,” she said. “Now we’re just excited to receive the valentines and to be able to give them out. We’ll still take plenty more until the end on Friday so we’re asking and encouraging many more children or students to make a card or write a letter to brigten a senior’s day.”