Introducing Operation Connect
Bringing Cheer to Senior Living Communities
Our mission is “to unite industry partners and operators to collectively enhance dining experiences for their guests.” In keeping with that commitment, we wish to support our members in adding an element of connection to their dining service impacted by COVID-19. To ensure residents' safety, many communities are making the difficult decision to close dining halls, leaving residents safe but isolated in their rooms.
Likewise, most senior living communities are currently not able to allow visitors and family members to ensure the safety of residents. In this period of isolation, we created an opportunity to connect you with residents at senior living communities who can no longer dine with their friends and loved ones.
Many communities are still allowing mail to residents if held for 24 hours (maximum amount of time the virus can live on paper surfaces according to CDC). As many of your employees are working from home and they may have children home from school, please encourage them to draw pictures and write letters or poems to be delivered to a resident of a senior living community with their regularly served meal. This is also an opportunity to connect employees and their families with residents in their time of greatest need. Together, we can combat isolation.
If your organization would like to participate, please opt in below to get started.
BEFORE SENDING YOUR CHEER, HERE ARE SOME GUIDELINES:
SDA Members
Register your community below. We will need your contact and census information. This way, we can coordinate with our partners to send you enough Cheer for your residents.
Get your organization involved!
Reach out to your CEO and cascade the message to your entire organization to get everyone involved in operation connect. There are so many seniors who are isolated that need some cheer.
What to send?
Messages (letters, drawings) should be legible (large print) and handwritten. No worries if you’re not artistic– make your Cheer as what you’d like to receive.
Embrace creativity!
Recipients love it when the letters are personal. We encourage you to make your letters detailed, thoughtful and heartfelt.
One-way letter exchange
This is a one-way letter exchange, meaning you will not receive a letter back, so remember that no reciprocation attached is part of the beauty of your act of kindness, and the recipients don’t feel burdened by feeling obligated or being unable to respond.
Envelope your letters if you can!
It’s so much nicer to open up an enveloped card. If you’re sending more than 1 letter, leave your enveloped letters unsealed and unstamped and put them in a larger envelope or box to send.
How does it work?
Register your organization below to receive cheer.
- Organizations registering to give cheer will pledge how much cheer to send.
- The SDA will match organizations with communities to send your cheer to.
- Communicate the message to your organization ASAP.
- Use the SDA Flyer or our blank template to send your message to your organization.
Ready to Mail?
Please address envelopes and/or boxes:
Community Contact / SDA Operation Connect
Community Name
Community Address
Get Started Today
RECEIVE CHEER FOR A SINGLE COMMUNITY
RECEIVE CHEER FOR MULTIPLE COMMUNITIES
RECEIVE CHEER FOR MULTIPLE COMMUNITIES
Register your community to receive cheer.
Due to an overwhelming response of requests for cheer. We can't guarantee the cheer will be fulfilled.
RECEIVE CHEER FOR MULTIPLE COMMUNITIES
RECEIVE CHEER FOR MULTIPLE COMMUNITIES
RECEIVE CHEER FOR MULTIPLE COMMUNITIES
Download the spreadsheet and complete the contact & census information. When completed email the form to Susan Ross at susan@seniordining.org
GIVE CHEER
RECEIVE CHEER FOR MULTIPLE COMMUNITIES
GIVE CHEER
Industry Partners & Supporters
Complete the online registration form and the SDA will contact you with communities to send your cheer to.
Registration is Open – Save $100 with Early Bird Pricing!
Early bird pricing ends on January 15, 2025