Award-winning advertising and digital marketing agency Austin Williams helped spread the love this Valentine’s Day by delivering hand-made Valentine’s cards to Gurwin Jewish Nursing & Rehabilitation Center residents in Commack, NY.
The idea came from the Culture Committee at Austin Williams, who are always looking for ways to give back to the community and noticed the increasing population of seniors who are alone for holidays like Valentine’s Day.
“Valentine’s Day can be a challenging time for seniors who may feel alone, especially if they’ve lost a spouse or if their friends and family are not nearby,” said Eva LaMere, president of Austin Williams. “By creating these homemade cards, we hope to brighten the day of each resident at Gurwin, making them feel like a valued community member.”
Each employee at Austin Williams was encouraged to create homemade cards with a heartfelt message inside. The objective was to make 400 total Valentines, delivering one card per nursing home resident at Gurwin.
The cards were then hand-delivered to Gurwin by three AW employees: Tina Choy, copy editor; Katey DiStefano, organic social media strategist; and Stephen Kalantgopoulos, paid social media manager. The team greeted residents waiting in the Simon Rainbow Room at the heart of Gurwin Jewish Nursing & Rehabilitation Center.
“A simple act of kindness, such as a hand-made card, can make such an impact on our residents who typically are feeling down around holidays like Valentine’s Day,” said Nicole Hopper, director of therapeutic recreation at Gurwin. “We thank Austin Williams for taking the time to make our seniors feel loved and special during this time!”
“We loved our Valentine’s! It was so kind of them to think of us on Valentine’s Day,” said Marie Oliva, a Gurwin Jewish Nursing & Rehabilitation Center resident.
