Download the full press release HERE
Buckeye Valley West Elementary Students to host “Meet Your Pen Pal Party”
5th grade students will meet senior pen pals face to face after a 3 month letter exchange program
Delaware, OH – On May 10, 2012 Buckeye Valley West Elementary 5th grade students will
host a party to meet their senior adult pen pals. The students and their pen pals have been
participating in a intergenerational Friendship Book Club over the course of a 3 month letter
exchange program made possible by Connections Volunteer Center, a program of HelpLine of
Delaware and Morrow Counties, Inc. (HelpLine) .
Students will perform for their guests, give a tour of the school and the Delaware District Library/
Ostrander branch, complete their book discussion with their pen pal and take time to build on
the relationship they have developed since the beginning of February. Refreshments will be
made and served by parents of the student participants.
HelpLine would like to send a special thank you to Lisa Rose, 5th grade Literature teacher who
heads up the program, Joan Hatcher of Senior Citizens, Inc. and Margie West of Connections
Volunteer Center who all spend endless hours recruiting senior volunteers, sending important
information and student letters to the seniors and carrying out a wide variety of miscellaneous
duties to ensure the success of the program.
We would also like to thank Buckeye Valley West Elementary for hosting the event, Delaware
District Library for organizing and obtaining books for students/seniors in the program, Mike
Rose and Superintendent Jamie Grube for providing transportation for our seniors at the school
and the Delaware County Sheriff’s Department and the Delaware City Police Department for
completion of background checks for our senior volunteers.
Susan Hanson, Executive Director of HelpLine expressed, “This is truly a community wide event
that helps to encourage the reading and writing skills of our young people as well as creates a
special bond between generations.”
If interested in becoming a pen pal in January 2013, please contact Connections at 740-363-
5000. Participates must be over 55 years of age and willing to read and share a book chosen
by students. Generally 5-6 letters are exchanged over the course of a few months. This is an
exciting opportunity to reach out and make a difference in the lives of others.
