Of the 8 million adults living in Georgia, more than 1.4 million are considered senior citizens. Although senior citizens account for a sizable share of the population in the Peach State, life can feel isolating for those who live in senior living homes. After the COVID-19 pandemic, seniors may also not see their families for a prolonged amount of time, further augmenting the feeling of loneliness. 

That is why North Cobb High School students have stepped up to brighten the smiles of residents of local senior living homes. The students are members of North Cobb’s Sending Sunshine Club, a chapter of a larger Canadian charity that sends letters and cards to senior citizens. North Cobb is one of more than 200 Sending Sunshine chapters worldwide and aims to promote acts of kindness and service to students within the school’s halls. 

North Cobb’s Sending Sunshine club joins a long list of community service clubs that provide aid to those in need. The school’s Rally Club partners with the Rally Foundation to help fundraise for the cure to childhood cancer, and North Cobb’s Miracle Club helps the University of Georgia (UGA) Miracle organization, which raises funds to support Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, a partner hospital of Children’s Miracle Network. 

As North Cobb’s Sending Sunshine club continues to expand, the club may begin accepting donations, like the global organization. 

Co-Presidents and North Cobb magnet juniors Katherina Sackey and Jordyn Walker founded the Sending Sunshine club to provide fellow students more opportunities to give back to their community. The duo drew inspiration from the Rally Foundation letter fundraiser and their personal connections to senior citizens.

“In my personal life, my grandparents are so far from my other family that we don’t really get to visit them a lot. I remember that when I was looking at Sending Sunshine, it reminded me of my grandma and how it would brighten her day if she got letters from other people that show how much other people care about her. That’s why I really wanted to partner with this organization,” Jordyn explained.   

To spread more sunshine in the community, the students plan to continue coordinating with additional retirement homes, partner with other clubs, and recruit incoming freshmen to get involved. 

“We hope to send at least 500 letters and to branch out to more retirement homes. We also hope to get more people involved in the club,” Katherina said.