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 Thanks
for visiting our site. 
We are John Thomas, age 18, and Kelly Thomas, age 21. We are
from California, and Kelly attends a small college in the
northeast, and John attends a university in Texas. We started
this web site in 1999 as a community outreach program with
only 5 members. It has since grown to become the largest senior
citizen pen pal site of its kind on the internet with over
3,000 members.
For
several years, we have been entertaining at various retirement
homes because we felt that the residents there would enjoy
seeing some new, young faces and hearing our piano music.
The Senior Citizens love our visits and, often, many of them
become very involved in the music by clapping and singing
along. It quickly became obvious to us that a good number
of these elderly people are extremely lonely. Many have no
relatives in the vicinity. When we visit, they don’t want
us to leave. They hug us, hold our hands and chat with
us for as long as we can stay. Many of these residents seem
invigorated by our visits. If nothing else, we believe our
piano playing breaks the monotony of their daily routines.
Very
saddened by their situations, we decided to do something to
try to bring further enjoyment into the lives of these Senior
Citizens. After brainstorming, we came up with a few ideas
of how we might be able to bring greater diversion to these
people. Along with our piano visits, we have created two programs.
First, in 1999, we designed this “ Write a Senior Citizen”
program in which people can email any of the listed Seniors.
We realized that there must be thousands of other Seniors
in situations similar to our retirement home friends who would
enjoy being contacted and forming pen pal relationships. With
this website, we can reach shut-ins or any Senior who would
appreciate hearing from a pen pal.
After
personally visiting numerous associations to invite Seniors
to participate in this website, such as: Adult Recreation
Centers, AARP Meetings, Assistance League Meetings, Condominium
Association Meetings, Masonic, Elks and Moose Lodges, American
Legion Posts, garden clubs and various churches, we are extremely
pleased that our “Write a Senior Citizen” program
caught on very rapidly and has brightened the existence of
many people. Now we maintain this site by adding participants
as they submit biographical material and answering any questions
directed to the Webmeisters.
Our
other program is called: “Visit a Senior Citizen.”
We have assembled a group of caring students from our school
who join us in visiting elderly people residing in various
retirement homes. We schedule appointments for our group to
visit en masse, chat, play chess, checkers and backgammon,
share photo albums and scrap books and remember the Senior’s
birthdays. Some very strong, long-lasting, wonderful relationships
have been formed through this program, also.
 A
few years ago, John won fourth place in the California State
Science Fair with his vermicomposting project called "Let
Worms Recycle Your Garbage". (Vermicomposting is a type of
composting accomplished by letting redworms eat kitchen scraps
which then become a fabulous, rich humus and, at the same
time, saves landfill space.) Since then, we have, also, created
a Vermicomposting
Program for the residents of the Cities of Glendale and La
Canada. We have also created a web site called CompostWorld.com.
Please feel free to visit
there. Lecturing at various schools, garden clubs, for
Boy Scout troops, etc., and donating worm bins has allowed
us to educate adults and children about the benefits and ease
of vermicomposting.
Recently,
John has been speaking to many adult and teenage groups regarding
volunteerism and how to channel one's passions into mutually
rewarding community service. Many of our friends are doing
wonderful things as well. We are pleased that it is being
recognized that not all teenagers are troubled.
 Kelly
is currently a senior in college, and John is a freshman.
For several years, we both have, also, been very involved
in web design. John has recently designed websites for Twelve
Oaks Lodge, a retirement home which is sponsored by
National Charity League, Operation
School Bell (Assistance League of Southern California),
Elizabeth
House, a shelter for women in crisis pregnancy and
their children, plus a variety other organizations.
Of
utmost importance to us is our commitment to Senior Citizens.
We still are fortunate to have three wonderful
grandparents living near us who are extremely healthy and
mobile. Someday, they, too, may be less active and may benefit
from our programs. This “Great Generation” of Senior Citizens
contributed unendingly through World War II and the Korean
War while judiciously shaping our world through innovations
and policies. They must not be ignored and forgotten. We do
hope that interest in this site continues and that people
of all ages will become pen pals with these Senior Citizens.
Thanks,
again, for visiting.
Kelly
and John Thomas
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