Photo courtesy of Colton McKee

By Scott Roblin

Staying Connected

Penpal Project aims at connecting seniors & teens in local community

Sep 22, 2020 | 5:33 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – For many in the local community, COVID-19 brought on feelings of isolation and disconnection for people of all ages.

The simple act of writing a letter is looking to combat that to help bridge the gap between local teenagers and senior citizens.

The Community Foundation of Southeastern Alberta has taken over the ‘Penpal Project’ from the City of Medicine Hat, which connects students and seniors via weekly written letters.

“We just thought it was such an instrumental way in getting youth involved in the community,” said CFSEA volunteer coordinator Sydney Ratzlaff. “The youth can see it as a volunteer experience, they can improve their reading and writing skills. The seniors can share their life experience and just impact a student’s life. So, we just thought it was such an important program that we wanted to keep it going.”

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Both the Be YOUth Centre in Medicine Hat and the Redcliff Youth Centre have jumped on board with the project, providing guidance for the students between the ages of 11 and 17.

The program has been open for a handful of weeks and has already seen a strong response according to Be YOUth Centre executive director Brett Tobler.

“With everything that’s happening with social media you never know what’s going to be said,” said Tobler. “Where in the letter it’s more sentimental, it means more to them, it’s from the heart. With a letter it takes time to write and they’re able to build that connection.”

There have been 20 pairs of teenagers and seniors matched up so far, though the goal is to get even more jumping on board from both age groups.

Along with the assistance provided by both local youth centres, the Community Foundation has also seen interest in the program from many around the Medicine Hat area.

“Both of those centres have been really instrumental in starting us off,” said Ratzlaff. “We’ve also had some individuals and parents just come forward, some of the parents that are homeschooling this year also want to get connected with this project.”

For the teenagers, it’s an opportunity to learn from those who have lived experience in the community while also gaining a volunteer background as well.

There are a number of benefits to the seniors as well, such as avoiding isolation and loneliness in what is a stressful time for many.

“A lot of grandparents can’t see their grandkids right now,” said Tobler. “So, being able to kind of connect through those letters they’re still hearing from the youth, letting them know how they’re doing, and things like that.”

Anyone interested in signing up for the Penpal Project is encouraged to contact Ratzlaff at sydney@cfsea.ca or by calling 403-527-9038.