Shelley lives in a nursing home in Brighton, Massachussetts, and has been feeling isolated ever since the pandemic started. “You miss the closeness with people — whether it’s family or friends; you miss the contact,” she says. Last September, Shelley started receiving letters written by high school students volunteering for the Brookline chapter of Letters for Rose (LFR). “When you’re in a nursing home and you receive letters like that, it lifts your spirits,” Shelley says.

In a small assisted-living facility in Maryland, a bulletin board displays brightly colored cards and letters from teens to residents. One letter describes a teen’s grandparents in the army, and stories learned in history class: It is addressed to a resident who had served. Another letter describes being in the marching band: It is to a resident who used to play the saxophone. Residents “shared their letters with each other,” said Debby Rosenberg, nurse manager of Hummingbird Manor in Aberdeen, Md.“They could not wait to hear what each one said. It was awesome.” The letters have come from teenagers who participate in a nationwide effort, started by two Montclair High School teens, called “Letters for Rose.”