A Helping Hand celebrated a decade of valentine deliveries to older adults and individuals with disabilities on February 12, 2011. The 10th annual Valentine Delivery and Serenade was a major success touching the lives of more than 3,700 seniors in Chapel Hill, Durham, Hillsborough and Raleigh.

The event kicked off at Carol Woods Retirement Community in Chapel Hill with performances by the Duke University Chorale, the UNC Achordants and the UNC Loreleis who shared love songs with residents of Carol Woods Retirement Community. They were among the 83 performers who sang at nursing homes, assisted living facilities and private residencies as a part of this year’s event.

More than 2,100 volunteers and 74 community groups helped make the 10th annual Valentine Delivery and Serenade possible by creating hand-crafted cards, packing roses and delivering more than 4,600 valentines to older adults in the community. Many community leaders and local politicians participated in the day’s festivities including Congressman David Price, Chapel Hill Town Council Member Penny Rich, Durham City Council Member Farad Ali and Carrboro Board of Alderman Member Lydia Lavelle.

A Decade of Deliveries by the Numbers
Valentine Delivery and Serenade is a community outreach effort that’s grown each year since its inception in 2001. The impact of the event is evident in this by-the-numbers breakdown.

Over the past 10 years of Valentine Delivery and Serenade:
•    29,745 hand-crafted valentines were delivered to older adults and individuals with disabilities.
•    15,000 volunteers created cards and delivered songs.
•    3,200 red roses were shared with seniors and residents of nursing homes and assisted living facilities.
•    20,000 older adults and individuals with disabilities were reached through this community event.

To learn more about how you can get involved in next year’s event, please call (919) 403-5555 or send an email to valentinedelivery@ahelpinghandnc.org. To see pictures from this year’s event, please visit our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ahelpinghandnc.

“The singers who participate in Valentine Delivery and Serenade make a difference in the lives of seniors and disabled adults in our community,” said Cathy Ahrendsen, executive director and founder of A Helping Hand.

In past years, the UNC Loreleis, UNC Achordants, UNC Clef Hangers and Duke Chorale have volunteered their time and voices. Recipients enjoy hearing old favorites such as “Let Me Call You Sweetheart” and “You Are My Sunshine.” We accept volunteers ranging from professional vocalists to those who just enjoy singing with friends.

If you are interested in participating in this year’s Valentine Delivery and Serenade as a singer, email us at valentinedelivery@ahelpinghandnc.org or call 919-403-5555.

If singing is not your forte, but you’d still like to get involved, A Helping Hand is looking for other volunteers including valentine cardmakers, community sponsors and more.  Send us an email us at valentinedelivery@ahelpinghandnc.org to learn how you can get involved.

If you don’t want to wait for a hard copy of our newsletter, The Hand Print, to arrive in the mail to learn about the latest AHH news, we invite you to follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

By following us online, you’ll gain access to tips for seniors, information on upcoming events, upcoming volunteer opportunities and more! Click on the links below to learn more.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ahelpinghandnc

Twitter: www.twitter.com/ahelpinghandnc

If you didn’t receive the latest issue of The Hand Print and would like to be added to our mailing list, please email us at info@ahelpinghandnc.org or call (919) 403-5555.

In honor of National Family Caregivers Month, A Helping Hand penned a column that appeared in The Chapel Hill News and The Durham News to help educate the community about caregiver respite. The article was written by AHH’s board president, Carol Kelly, who is a family caregiver and advocate for seniors.

Click here to read the article online in case you missed it in the papers!