{"id":101593,"date":"2020-07-02T23:35:43","date_gmt":"2020-07-03T03:35:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/?p=101593"},"modified":"2020-07-02T23:35:43","modified_gmt":"2020-07-03T03:35:43","slug":"kidspeace-youth-nursing-home-residents-connect-amid-covid-19-lockdowns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/?p=101593","title":{"rendered":"KidsPeace Youth, Nursing Home Residents Connect Amid COVID-19 Lockdowns"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Handmade cards carry simple message: \u201cYou Are NOT Alone!\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><code class=\"code\">-AMAZONPOLLY-ONLYWORDS-START-<\/code><br \/>\n<div class=\"su-image-carousel  su-image-carousel-has-spacing su-image-carousel-has-lightbox su-image-carousel-has-outline su-image-carousel-adaptive su-image-carousel-slides-style-default su-image-carousel-controls-style-dark su-image-carousel-align-none\" style=\"\" data-flickity-options='{\"groupCells\":true,\"cellSelector\":\".su-image-carousel-item\",\"adaptiveHeight\":true,\"cellAlign\":\"left\",\"prevNextButtons\":true,\"pageDots\":true,\"autoPlay\":5000,\"imagesLoaded\":true,\"contain\":false,\"selectedAttraction\":0.025000000000000001387778780781445675529539585113525390625,\"friction\":0.2800000000000000266453525910037569701671600341796875}' id=\"su_image_carousel_69f8ae43f0439\"><div class=\"su-image-carousel-item\"><div class=\"su-image-carousel-item-content\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/image003-2.jpg\" data-caption=\"\" data-rel=\"lightbox-image-0\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"205\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/image003-2-300x205.jpg\" class=\"\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/image003-2-300x205.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/image003-2.jpg 685w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/div><\/div><div class=\"su-image-carousel-item\"><div class=\"su-image-carousel-item-content\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/image005-2.jpg\" data-caption=\"\" data-rel=\"lightbox-image-1\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"184\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/image005-2-300x184.jpg\" class=\"\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/image005-2-300x184.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/image005-2.jpg 704w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/div><\/div><div class=\"su-image-carousel-item\"><div class=\"su-image-carousel-item-content\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/image007-1.jpg\" data-caption=\"\" data-rel=\"lightbox-image-2\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"177\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/image007-1-300x177.jpg\" class=\"\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/image007-1-300x177.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/image007-1.jpg 720w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/div><\/div><div class=\"su-image-carousel-item\"><div class=\"su-image-carousel-item-content\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/image009-1.jpg\" data-caption=\"\" data-rel=\"lightbox-image-3\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"167\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/image009-1-300x167.jpg\" class=\"\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/image009-1-300x167.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/image009-1-672x372.jpg 672w, https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/image009-1.jpg 720w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><script id=\"su_image_carousel_69f8ae43f0439_script\">if(window.SUImageCarousel){setTimeout(function() {window.SUImageCarousel.initGallery(document.getElementById(\"su_image_carousel_69f8ae43f0439\"))}, 0);}var su_image_carousel_69f8ae43f0439_script=document.getElementById(\"su_image_carousel_69f8ae43f0439_script\");if(su_image_carousel_69f8ae43f0439_script){su_image_carousel_69f8ae43f0439_script.parentNode.removeChild(su_image_carousel_69f8ae43f0439_script);}<\/script>\n<p><em>Pictures of cards of encouragement made by children in KidsPeace\u2019s residential treatment program and sent to area nursing homes in the Lehigh<\/em><br \/>\n<code class=\"code\">-AMAZONPOLLY-ONLYWORDS-END-<\/code><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>OREFIELD, PA (July 2, 2020) <\/strong>&#8211; Loneliness has proved to be a \u201cside effect\u201d of our society\u2019s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Whether you\u2019re an elderly resident of a nursing home, or a young person being treated in a residential mental health facility, the coronavirus lockdown has had the same effect \u2013 separating you from your family.<\/p>\n<p>Youth in KidsPeace\u2019s residential treatment programs in Pennsylvania recognized this shared experience, and reached out to those in area nursing homes to let them know \u201c<em>You are NOT alone!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Stephanie Kerns, director of recreational therapies and enrichment services for residential programs at KidsPeace\u2019s Orchard Hills Campus, says the idea came as residents were finishing the <em>\u201cRelationships and Communication\u201d <\/em>portion of their Community Living curriculum.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe received a request for our clients to make greeting cards for individuals in local nursing homes. Our clinicians presented the idea as a way to discuss the significance of bolstering relationships with individuals in our communities,\u201d Kerns noted. \u201cOur youth jumped right on board with the idea and really made this project their own.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Many of the KidsPeace clients made multiple handmade cards, including positive and upbeat messages of hope and inspiration for the nursing home residents. \u201cSome of them even wrote silly jokes in order to give the recipient a little chuckle,\u201d she recalls.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur kiddos felt as though they could genuinely relate to individuals in nursing homes because neither group has been able to visit with their families in person due to COVID-19,\u201d Kerns said. \u201cThis is something many of our own residents have struggled with, but they felt some solace knowing they were not alone, and they tried to share that message through the cards &#8211; writing things like <em>\u201cWe are in this together\u201d <\/em>and <em>\u201cYou are never alone!\u201d<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In total KidsPeace clients created 80 cards that were sent to Country Meadows and<\/p>\n<p>Cedarbrook, two nursing homes in the Lehigh Valley of Pennsylvania. Country Meadows\u2019 Director of Dynamic Living Wendy Balik confirmed the cards were a big hit among their residents. \u201cOur folks loved them; they read them out loud to each other,\u201d she said. \u201cThey were really touched by the messages, especially coming from children, and they did recognize they share with the KidsPeace kids the experience of being away from family.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Kerns said while the cards may have helped brighten the recipients\u2019 day, their impact was equally important on the kids \u2013 and on the staff caring for them:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe were blown away by the compassion the kids showed for the nursing home residents.<\/p>\n<p>I think the most impressive component of this entire activity was seeing how many of our youth felt compelled to participate while expecting nothing in return for doing so\u2026 (just) hoping that when the residents read these messages, they would feel just a little more hopeful, a little less lonely, and a whole lot more special.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>You can hear more about the greeting cards project from Stephanie Kerns on the \u201cCards CONNECTING Humanity\u201d episode of the Conversations with KidsPeace podcast series, available at kidspeace.org or wherever you get your podcasts.<\/p>\n<p><em>Since 1882, KidsPeace has been building on its expertise to give hope, help and healing to children, adults and those who love them. Through its comprehensive range of residential treatment programs; accredited educational services; unique psychiatric hospital and foster care and community-based programs, KidsPeace is dedicated to helping people connect, transform and overcome their challenges to ensure a stable future, transition to adulthood and gain independence. Since its doors opened, nearly 300,000 children have participated in one of the multitude of programs KidsPeace offers.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>For additional resources or more information on how to get involved, become a foster parent or make a donation, please visit <\/em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.kidspeace.org\/\"><em>www.kidspeace.org<\/em><\/a><em>. Follow us at <\/em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/kidspeace.org\"><em>www.facebook.com\/kidspeace.org<\/em> <\/a><em>or on Twitter @KidsPeace.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Information Provided By:<br \/>\nRobert Martin<br \/>\nDirector of Communications<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><code class=\"code\">-AMAZONPOLLY-ONLYWORDS-START-<\/code><br \/>\n<div class='adkingprobanner sidebar banner3023'><a href='http:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/' target=\"_blank\" data-id='3023' data-ga='{\"campaign\":\"\",\"banner\":\"\",\"implemented\":\"universal\",\"imp_action\":\"Impression\",\"click_action\":\"Click\"}'><img src='https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/inpostblank.jpg' alt='' \/><\/a><\/div>\n&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class='adkingprobanner sidebar banner7036'><a href='http:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com' target=\"_blank\" data-id='7036' data-ga='{\"campaign\":\"\",\"banner\":\"\",\"implemented\":\"universal\",\"imp_action\":\"Impression\",\"click_action\":\"Click\"}'><img src='https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/inpostblank.jpg' alt='' \/><\/a><\/div>\n<code class=\"code\">-AMAZONPOLLY-ONLYWORDS-END-<\/code><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"&hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/?post_type=adverts_posts&p=7036\" class=\"read-more\">Click here to read more... <\/a>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":74193,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[69,482],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-101593","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-in-the-valley","category-press-release-2"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/kidspeace.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101593"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=101593"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101593\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/74193"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=101593"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=101593"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=101593"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}