The 14-Year-Old On a Mission to Make Elderly Folks Smile
Jacob Cramer always had a soft spot for seniors. So when the 14-year-old decided to set about making a difference in the lives of others, he immediately thought of the elderly population. In his own words, “So many elderly citizens in our nation have no one to care for them, no one to look after them and no one to love them. We are here to change that. We’re a non-profit organization that is dedicated to providing happiness to the elderly.”
In December of 2013, Cramer founded his nonprofit Love for the Elderly, which delivers hand-written letters of kindness to folks in senior citizens’ homes throughout the United States. When he first started out, Cramer wrote letters to dozens of companies, racking his brain to think of organizations that would want to support a letter-writing program for seniors. Since then, his small nonprofit has enlisted letter-writers from all corners of the globe – from Australia to Iceland. Cramer has received and distributed over 10,000 heartfelt letters of love and compassion from over 40 different countries.
While most high school boys are thinking of going out with their friends or getting their homework done on time, Jacob Cramer took it upon himself to think about how he could help others. His simple yet powerful idea is bringing smiles and joy to seniors across the US and living up to what Cramer set out to do for himself, “I strive to touch the lives of the elderly, because I feel they could greatly benefit from the tender, loving kindness of receiving letters from people who care.”
This Good Doer Profile was produced in collaboration with Goodnet partner Good Deeds Day – celebrating everyday people that make every day Good Deeds Day.
