We create love and hope to combat the effects of social isolation and loneliness for those most forgotten with Art & Human Connection.
Combatting Isolation
Loneliness is a global health crisis that affects us all. Studies have shown that…
Since 1985 the number of Americans with no close friends has tripled.
Social isolation among older adults is a significant issue posing severe health risks. According to the National Council on Aging, nearly 1 in 3 socially isolated older adults expect their quality of life to get worse in the next decade.
Socially isolated seniors have a 59% higher risk of physical and mental health decline, heart disease, high blood pressure, and dementia than those who do not experience social isolation.
60% of nursing home residents do not receive regular visitors, putting them at greater risk for abuse, neglect, and depression.
These are alarming statistics, considering that isolation among adults is an issue we all can address. Community is essential for human survival and creates a sense of well-being and belonging.
Love in Action Project is a volunteer-led grassroots organization founded in December 2010. On February 14, 2011, a team of 18 three-year-old and 16 adult volunteers kicked off a Love Epidemic in Charlotte, NC. We delivered handmade cards, “messages of love and hope,” to all Mecklenburg County Nursing Home residents, Carolina Rehabilitation Center residents, Meals on Wheels recipients, homeless individuals, and those facing transition challenges.
We are incredibly excited that our mission expanded to 29 cities: in 15 states and 68 senior living facilities outside our city! Since 2010 we’ve distributed more than 80,000 handmade cards, bringing joy, helping ease the feeling of despair, and combating the effects of social isolation and loneliness for the recipients.
Our Why
To help avoid a loveless society and improve lives while building a stronger community.
Programs
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iamlovenaction
Volunteers are matched to support a local nursing home Activity Director. Approved by the Nursing Home Administrator, the volunteer will engage with residents through guided direction opportunities such as playing games, party assistance, or a LOVE visit. LOVE visits are volunteer opportunities to enjoy pleasant conversations with local nursing home residents to encourage socialization and improve daily living skills for residents.
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LOVE OCCUPY
Handmade Cards for Valentine’s Day is our largest national volunteer-driven movement. When the world is busy buying gifts and flowers for loved ones, we are creating a message of love and hope for isolated older adults and those going through challenging times of transition. Nothing is more special than a Valentine’s Day card with poems and loving words that come straight from the heart and the hands. Each card is personally delivered to the recipient to encourage human connection. Volunteers are matched with local facilities in their city.
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Card Party Host
Join our national volunteer-driven campaign to share a moment of love to combat social isolation and loneliness. Be a part of sending hope to someone in need. Invite family and friends and host an arts and crafts party. Provide us with your city, state, and zip code, and we will match you with a local facility. You will commit to the number of cards you can create, deliver, or mail to the facility you are matched with. Guidelines will be provided upon commitment. All volunteers and facilities matches are approved by the Nursing Home Administrator.
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Love 300
Love 300 is our summer initiative. We select one local non-profit whose mission is to be a solution to the homeless epidemic in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg region. We collect hygiene items, snacks, bottled water, and handmade messages of love and hope to support their efforts. LOVE BAGS are disbursed to local homeless individuals, shelters, and food banks. We encourage our community to learn more about homelessness in our city and how we can be a part of the solution.
Get Involved
Join Us! Together let’s combat the effects of social isolation and loneliness for those most forgotten.
Donate
Your generous contribution allows us to positively combat the effects of social isolation and loneliness in our local community.
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Volunteer
We are on a mission! If you want to volunteer or partner with the Love in Action Project, let us know!
The Founder - Tawanda Robbins
Tawanda Robbins is a native of Charlotte, NC. She is an entrepreneur, a non-profit executive, a wife, and a mother of two daughters.
While on a 2010 mission trip in Trinidad Tobago, two things returned with her to the States: the innocence and imagination of the children and the need for love and attention of the residents in aged and long-term care facilities. As she reflected on her mission trip, Tawanda was alarmed by the statics and effects of social isolation and loneliness among those in her local community. Tawanda stopped at a local daycare and asked the director for children's handprints to deliver to local nursing home residents.
A decade later, Love in Action Project has improved the lives of thousands while building a stronger community. Tawanda front right – Our State Magazine
