So…this post.

Hummm.

Watch the video first and then I will explain.

It’s national family week  BTW.

Keep reading and you’ll  find out about the free flowers!

A couple of weeks ago I was talking to my brother.  Well wait, let me back up a bit.

My brother.  My brother has a passion for helping the elderly.  He has always been a kind quiet soul.  Don’t get me wrong he has done his deal of torture when he was young (embarrassing me in front of boyfriends, tickle torture and bungee spit {{ha}}.  I know you know exactly what I am talking about…you’ve experienced this too.)  But back to this story.   I think he decided to own some assisted living facilities so that he would get to talk and laugh with the elderly every day.   You know how some people are gifted with certain age groups {{example: kindergarten teacher!?! Yup they are an amazing breed}}} well this is my brothers ‘niche.’  Thank goodness we all have our strengths. 

So when I was talking with my brother,  he  was telling me there was one resident {{who is very sweet}} who had not had a visitor since 2005.  2005. Two-thousand five.  Talk about pulling at the heart strings.

I asked him if I could do a ‘HowDoesShe?’ on his residents.  He said sure if we’d challenge our readers to go out and visit an elderly loved one in an assisted living facility, rest home or just over to their house!

We decided to film a movie and take pictures of these treasured people and some of the gifts they love to receive.  I do have to tell you that while we were at the facility filming, Marge, our main actress in the movie was cracking me up.  That lady has some spunk.  She was not the one that did not get visits.  She had like 4 visitors in-between takes!   She was a good sport and LOVED the flowers!

We did take a poll before we got there on what things the residents like to receive as gifts from family and friends.

Here are some of their ideas:

#5 gift:  Nuts.  More of the men voted on this treat…but yes, I have a picture of a woman.  Her husband was taking a nap.  She promised she’d share.  She said it with a wink! #4 gift: Chocolate.  Yup.  The women votes. #3 gift:  Flowers.  The women again, although a few men chimed in that they liked them also. #2 gift:  Love Letters. #1.5 gift:  Pictures.  I know there is no such thing as 1.5 in this voting system, but I am adding it because the number one thing is a given… #1 gift:  Seeing YOU!  That is what they want.  YOU!

SO. Bumbumpbum…We are going to challenge our readers (along with ourselves) to make a difference and make a visit!

We are going to challenge you to get out today, this week, this month and see someone you love.

Did you know it is

National Family Week?

If you don’t know any elderly folk…call an assisted living center in your area and find a loving soul to ‘adopt’.  They need you.  They crave you.

Seriously imagine the impact we could have on so many people if we decided to make a difference and make a visit.  We have 25,000 readers.  If just half of you took the challenge there would be:

• 12,500 thousand extra smiles
• 12,500 extra hugs
• 12,500 happy people

We at HowDoesShe want to challenge you to make a difference in an elderly person’s life by the end of the March.

• We want to hear how it goes
• We want to see your pictures

(please send them to us howdoesshe at howdoesshe dot com)

We know together we  can make a difference.

To make it easy my brother has donated 5 ($25) gift cards to buy flowers.  He knows the power of visits.  He knows what one person can do.

If you’d like one of these gift cards leave us 2 comments.

• The first one is to tell us when you are going to visit a loved one.  (ie.  I am going to visit my Great Gma this Saturday and I’ll send you some pictures!)
• The second is to go over to my brother’s assisted living FB page and ‘like’ it.   That way he will know that we appreciate his donation!  Then leave a comment and tell us you did! (ie.  I ‘liked’ his FB page.)

We will email you next Wednesday if you are the winner (and we will email it over to you), but don’t wait until then to make a date to visit.  Do it now before the day takes over.

Oh I can see the smiles.  Make it a family night.  Create a smile!

HowDoesShe?  Make a Difference.

Alison

Alison is one of the 3 founders of HowDoesShe.com She is the mama of 4 rockin' kids who love PB and J's. She has one fantastic husband who is the love of her life and loves long walks on the beach!

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