Local woman organizing Valentines card drop-off for seniors

For Valentine's Day this year, one woman is working to create a little extra joy for local seniors.

Donna Price said she had heard about a group collecting cards for seniors in Coeur d’ Alene last year, but wasn’t aware of anything similar happening in the Sandpoint area.

“A lot of the seniors, with COVID [happening], don’t have a lot of contact with family,” she said. “I wanted to bring some warmth and happiness to them.”

Price got the idea Monday morning, and by the afternoon had gotten the go-ahead from the senior center in Sandpoint and started a Facebook page, Sandpoint Valentines Cards for Seniors.

After a little bit of shopping, crafting and connecting with local businesses, Price had baskets for card drop-offs at six local businesses by the end of the day.

As someone who’s kept cards she got for years, and someone who hand-makes embroidered cards, she knows how meaningful receiving them can be. However, the cards don’t have to be fancy or hand-made.

“A ‘Happy Valentines’ will do. I don’t have them assigned to specific people,” she said. “If they want to write a short message inside that’s also great.”

Price’s goal is to gather 200 cards for the local seniors, she said. If she exceeds that number, additional cards may go to other local senior centers or assisted living facilities.

Current participating businesses include Java Bear Espresso and Pierce Auto Center in Sagle, and Monarch Mountain Coffee, Panhandle Cone and Coffee, Jalapenos and Kokanee coffee in Sandpoint.

Any businesses interested in carrying baskets can contact Price at iamprob@gmail.com, or by messaging Price through her Facebook group. Nothing is required from those businesses, she said, just a spot for patrons can drop the cards off.