Sen. Tracy’s Office Seeking Valentine’s Cards for Seniors

By Benjamin Cox on January 31, 2025 at 9:07am

State Senator Jil Tracy’s office is once again spreading joy during the Valentine’s Day season to seniors in long-term care facilities throughout the region.

Sen. Tracy says that the Valentine’s Day Card collection they started 5 years ago has become extremely popular with several groups: “We’ve collected Valentines from community groups, church groups, schools, classes, and the like to give to residents at the Quincy Veterans Home and to residents throughout the 12 counties that I represent that live in long-term care facilities and assisted living just to show them that they are not forgotten, that we care about them. The people that give and make these Valentines get as much joy from it as the residents do getting the Valentines.”

Tracy says its absolutely free to do. She says you can go out and buy manufactured cards or make homemade ones. Valentine’s Day cards are being accepted now through February 7th. Tracy says there are several ways to turn them in: “I hope people will participate. We’re doing collections through February 7th in Quincy and at our Jacksonville office at 325 West State Street. We will deliver them throughout the region. That’s why we’re asking for February 7th as a hard deadline because, as one can imagine, it can be challenging delivering Valentine’s cards in the winter to 12 counties.”

Participants can also mail them to both offices. For more information or if a long-term care facility would like to be added to the list to receive Valentine’s cards, contact Michaelene Oldenettel at moldenettel@sgop.ilga.gov or call 217-408-1258.

Last year, members of the Senate Republican Caucus collected and delivered more than 58,000 cards statewide.