Welcome to Stories

Connections | June 2020

4th Annual Celebration was a New Kind of Hit

While we missed getting together in person for our annual spring picnic and Bethesda Big Train Baseball game, we proved that physically distancing cannot keep us apart. We loved getting to see so many volunteers, donors, and supporters on Zoom to celebrate and commemorate all of the amazing things that have taken place in the past school year.

Link-Generations-uplifting art work

42 people “Zoomed in” and we raised $10,000, thanks to everyone’s generous donations! We heard what our volunteers have been doing during Covid-19, presented some of the awesome artwork and projects our volunteers have created, and shared some of our most memorable experiences with Link Generations. If you were there, it was so great to have you, and for those of you who missed it, you can watch the highlight video here and keep reading below for some of our favorite quotes.

Uplifting Quotes from the Celebration and Beyond

I was thrilled to get my first letter … because it was so unexpected … and the person at the end of it said we’re thinking of you. It just opened up a whole world for me.
Resident from Ingleside at King Farm
I know that during this time specifically, everyone feels isolated, not just older adults or younger people ... we all feel lonely sometimes. It’s not just a specific age.
10th grade student from Clarksburg High School
One of the concerns we’ve always had of course is isolation and loneliness. In this unfortunate epidemic, to see the kind of things that Link Generations is doing again to work on these problems is so inspiring.
Link Generations Board Member
I felt pretty isolated and I didn’t have any goals in my days in quarantine but then when I started writing the letters it gave me a new goal.
10th grade student from Governors Academy in Massachusetts who Zoomed in from her home in Beijing, China

Writing Letters and Creating Artwork

This has been an incredibly difficult, confusing, and isolating time for all of us. Volunteers at Link Generations are making the most of the stay-at-home orders and finding ways to continue communicating with older adults. Through writing letters and creating artwork, our volunteers are continuing to lift spirits and spread love throughout senior living communities. More than 200 Link Generations volunteers have created over 1500 letters and works of art that we have delivered to over 500 isolated older adults at Charles E. Smith Life Communities, Ingleside at King Farm, and Brooke Grove Retirement Village. Not only has this proven to be an especially meaningful way of connecting with the older adults, the volunteers have also found their artwork to be a great way to stay involved even in physical isolation. These numbers are increasing constantly, as we receive more inspiring letters and artwork every day!

Advancing Our Mission From a Distance

As we continue navigating through this pandemic, we are thrilled to continue advancing the mission of Link Generations through our new virtual programs that will be introduced in the upcoming weeks. Link Generations is partnering with Ingleside at King Farm for the fourth summer of connecting residents and student volunteers through interactive conversations about themes such as resilience and gratitude. Student volunteers and residents will meet weekly through Zoom to have these discussions.  Volunteers are continuing to write letters and create art to stay connected with residents at Charles E. Smith Life Communities and homebound older adults in the community through our collaboration with JCA Heyman Interages Center. We are grateful to be working together on our shared mission to help people of all ages feel connected to each other.