Staying connected during these tough times of Covid-19 has been tough, but East Rockaway’s very own Builders Club is reaching out to nursing homes for Valentine’s Day. This is their effort to prove that even during a world-wide pandemic, love is not lost.

It was just last February when the Builders Club and the Key Club spent Valentine’s Day with the seniors at Atria Nursing Home.  Being a member of Builders Club myself, I can definitely say that Valentine’s Day will be one to remember! Builders Club visited the seniors on February 14th, 2020. This was only a month before Covid-19 shut down all of New York. We were lucky enough to have a worry free visit with the residents of Atria and spent our day playing bingo, doing crafts, and having an overall amazing Valentine’s Day. Now, flashforward to today, when a school trip like this one would be very much impossible to pull off. Yet, this does not mean that we are unable to spread love. The Builders Club will safely send valentines to the Seniors and Caregivers at Atria Nursing Home for this upcoming Valentines Day! 

After Meetings and consulting with Atria, club advisor Mr. Poland will be bringing carnations, Valentine’s cards, and other holiday themed goodies to the caregivers and residents of the nursing home. The 8th grade students and middle school advisory classes worked very hard to write Valentine’s for the seniors and they helped get everything ready so we were able to get the goodies to Atria before Valentine’s Day. A special thanks as well to the East Rockaway florist, for their donation of the 110 carnations that were given to the residents and caregivers of Atria Nursing Home: Thank You! With the help of people like them, the Builders Club is a few steps closer to completing their mission statement, which is to build a better community.  Putting smiles on faces, spreading love, and kindness is what Valentine’s Day is all about.

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Nursing homes in particular have been hit hard by this pandemic. Covid-19 has claimed over 160,000 lives of nursing home residents and staff in the United States. They have even had to close their doors to any outsiders in precaution. In such a dark time, many people do not even have a loved one to turn to, so I can just imagine how tough it is for the seniors. Not seeing their families and being under such strict lockdown are reasons why we are sending them some love for Valentine’s Day. Builders Club is also reaching out to the caregivers of Atria Nursing Home. There is no doubt that healthcare workers have done so much for us during the time of Covid-19. These caring, patient, and dependent caregivers seem to say they are just doing their job, but to everyone else, they are heroes! This is why The Builders Club is also delivering Valentines to not only the seniors but these amazing Caregivers as well! 

Building a better community starts with small acts of kindness. With every project the Builders Club accomplishes, we hope it is another smile! I hope the kind hearted residents and caregivers of Atria Nursing Home have a Valentine’s Day that is just a little bit happier when they receive their valentines and I wish you all an amazing and safe Valentines Day!