'Quite an amazing thing': Pen pal program connecting kids with seniors in Sask.

Some seniors are connecting to the outside world during COVID-19 through Facetime and video chats, but one home in Regina is turning to good old fashioned pen and paper.

Now, the co-ordinator hopes others will join in.

The Qu'Appelle House, a retirement home in Regina,has been closed to visitors and is restricting movements for the seniors' safety.

Meanwhile, children are out of schools and being encouraged to stay home to stop the spread.

Jillyan Clark, recreation co-ordinator at the retirement home, said this leaves both generations with a need to connect with others.

"I just realized the impact it must have on kids all throughout Saskatchewan and that kind of paired with the effect its had on residents," she said. "I thought, 'What is a way I can benefit both populations?'"

The answer: apen pal program.

"Basically, kids in the community have either written letters or drawn pictures for our residents to either look at or respond to. Some of them have been sending jokes or poems," Clark said.

To eliminate any concern about spreading the virus, parents send images of the letters to Clark's inbox. Then Clark picks a resident to see or reply to the letter and sends an emailback.There is no paper travelling to different locations.

"You just see the light in my residents' eyes reading these letters and being so astonished by the care of our community right now. It's quite an amazing thing," she said.

Clark picks which residents get which letters based on their personalities, she said. Some who are retired teachers get letters where children have questions or want to learn something new.

Clark said some residents are surprised kids can write letters.

"They've kind of thought that letter writing was just a lost art and no one does that anymore but it's been nice to see the residents realize that this is something that they can share with kids now," she said.

Clark said people should reach out to a local care home in their community to see if they can start a pen pal program or simply write a letter.