Shreya Patel found herself between high school and college when the COVID-19 pandemic first hit the U.S. hard. As the Boston resident adapted to a changed world, she and her younger sister, Saffron, began calling their grandparents every day, as a way to support them during their self-imposed isolation.
鈥淥ur grandparents are such social people 鈥� my grandma goes to the gym more than I do,鈥� Patel said. 鈥淎nd so her being alone in her apartment, it was really tough for her. 鈥� We wanted to make sure that she still had that social connection even though she couldn鈥檛 go out and see her friends.鈥�
But despite the phone calls, as lockdown dragged on, the Patel sisters could see that their grandmother was struggling.
鈥淎nd then a friend of hers sent a letter to her, and it was just beautiful 鈥� it had this hand-drawn rainbow on the front,鈥� Shreya Patel recalled. 鈥淭hat completely changed her whole demeanor. She showed it to us for a week straight on FaceTime, just beaming every time.鈥�
Those efforts soon got the siblings thinking about the broader issue of loneliness among seniors. They began writing letters to strangers in assisted living facilities and nursing homes in their local community.
鈥淲ithin a week we were trying to write to 200 seniors,鈥� Patel said. 鈥淲e needed some help.鈥�
Determined to keep up with the growing demand for their missives, the siblings started . From its humble beginnings in April 2020, the nonprofit now boasts 19,000 volunteers and serves thousands of seniors in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Australia and Israel. Even as Patel moved to St. Louis for college at Washington University, the organization has continued its work.
For recipients, the letters have been invaluable.
鈥淕etting something from the outside world telling them they were loved and reminding them to be grateful for the things that they do have was meaningful [to them],鈥� Patel said. 鈥淲e heard from one senior, called Florence, who鈥檚 a wonderful woman. 鈥� She said that they reminded her of the love letters that her husband had sent her back when she was a young girl. And I think that was just so special.鈥�
Even as vaccinations have allowed many older adults to have more in-person interactions, Patel noted that the issue of loneliness hasn鈥檛 gone away.
鈥淪enior loneliness is a problem that existed long before the pandemic, and it will persist long afterwards,鈥� she explained on Monday鈥檚 St. Louis on the Air. 鈥淚 think about 40% of seniors before the pandemic reported feeling lonely on a regular basis. And that has huge impact on seniors' mental health and also physical health. And so if we can do something even small like this, to reach out to them, and to remind them [that] they鈥檙e not alone, I鈥檇 want to keep on doing that.鈥�
Patel, who is now a sophomore at Washington University, said her work with Letters Against Isolation has helped shaped her hopes for her career path.
鈥淚 think I鈥檝e always had a bit of an entrepreneurial bone in my body, and same with Saffie 鈥� she ran a jewelry business in, like, middle school that got shut down by the school. 鈥� I think both of us have always been trying to build something exciting,鈥� Shreya Patel said. 鈥淎nd this just gave us an opportunity to really run with that passion and that drive and build something really cool.鈥�
Patel is studying business and computer science, but she鈥檚 also pursuing a minor in philosophy.
鈥淚 like doing the technical stuff, and I like building businesses, so that works very well for me,鈥� Patel said. 鈥淏ut I also just like reading philosophy. I think it stretches you to think in interesting directions and consider your place in the world. And I think it's important to have those conversations with yourself.鈥�
As for Letters Against Isolation, the demand for letters is ongoing 鈥� as is the need for more volunteers. Patel encouraged would-be letter writers to visit to learn more.
鈥淚f you scroll down just a little bit, you can see a bright yellow Get Involved form,鈥� Patel said. 鈥淔ill that out, and you鈥檒l be on a mailing list, and we鈥檒l send you your first signup sheet this Sunday.鈥�
鈥�鈥� brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. The show is hosted by and produced by , , , and . Jane Mather-Glass is our production assistant. The audio engineer is .
