Residents in the 50th Senate District of Illinois are being asked to uplift the spirits of long-term care facility residents by sending them Valentine’s Day cards this season.
State Senator Jil Tracy’s office is coordinating the card delivery to area seniors. She says the initiative is in its 4th year and is one of the most popular things her office does all year long: “It is something that I very much enjoy having our office put together because many people would like to do something like this, but by our coordination, it really gets the ball rolling. A lot of school children get involved and they realize that they are making Valentine’s for senior citizens that don’t get as much contact with the public. Who doesn’t love to get a Valentine’s Card or recognition that somebody has thought about you or cares about you? It’s been very well received. Church groups do it. It’s just gone over so well and has been so embraced by the public because they would like to do something for senior citizens and we kind of coordinate it. I’m glad to do it.”
Tracy says there are a couple of places you can drop off your Valentines Days cards: “I have an office in Jacksonville that I share with Representative C.D. Davidsmeyer. That is one point of drop off. Then, my Quincy office will coordinate and get them delivered to local nursing homes. I have 12 counties in my district, and we like to try and spread the cards out throughout all of them so that all of our facilities and the Veteran’s Home gets them. Then, of course, you can drop them off at my Quincy Office on Eastlake Center. With those two drop-off points, my staff will make sure they get delivered throughout the 12 counties.”
For residents of Jacksonville, a card crafting table has been set up inside the Jacksonville Public Library for anyone wishing to make a card. The library staff will collect those cards and drop them off to Senator Tracy’s staff for delivery.
Tracy says if you are a long-term care facility administrator and would like to ensure that your facility is on their list to receive Valentine’s cards, call the office at 217-223-0833 or email senatortracy@adams.net. Tracy says you can also call State Representative CD Davidsmeyer’s office in Jacksonville as well at 217-243-6221.
Valentine’s Day cards are being accepted now through February 5th.