KSHB 41 reporter Isabella Ledonne reports on stories in Overland Park, Johnson County and topics about government accountability. Share your story idea with Isabella.
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Love is in the air this Valentine's Day, and in Johnson County, it's going door-to-door.
Senior Helpers, a private caregiving company in Overland Park, is helping spread love to senior citizens through a heartwarming card making initiative.
Cupid's big day isn't just for candlelight dinners and romance. It's about showing love to friends, family and neighbors who may be alone.
"Valentine's ain't for lovers," Senior Helpers caregiver Terry Stewart Sutton said. "I never looked at it that way."
Stewart Sutton knows what it's like to be homebound and alone, which is why she serves as both a caregiver and expert card maker.
"When we're down, it just feels like our world just tumbles," Stewart Sutton said. "I was down for a couple years."
Her personal experience drives her passion for the card making project and her profession. She understands the impact care and simple gestures can have on isolated seniors.
"They open these cards and they see they care about me. I have a friend," Stewart Sutton said. "I have someone that is really letting me know that I'm not alone in this world."
Senior Helpers will deliver hundreds of handmade cards on Friday to Johnson County's elderly residents. The organization's sales and marketing director explained they target seniors who live alone in assisted living communities, memory care units and senior living neighborhoods.
"We're curing loneliness one card at a time," Kathi Spray said.
Volunteers put their art skills to work on Wednesday, adding to dozens of cards already made by Lakewood Middle School students. The children's contributions bring a special element to those opening the cards.
"Cards that are just so innocently written, like 'I love you more than chicken nuggets', 'I love you more than my video games,"' Spray said. "The very simple, basic ones, I think, are the ones that touch them the most, because it's coming from a pure place, from children."
For something that only takes a few minutes to make, the cards can mean an awful lot for someone battling loneliness.
"Some have jokes, and some just let them know that I'm your friend to the end," Stewart Sutton said.
The initiative addresses a serious issue affecting many seniors. Stewart Sutton has witnessed the devastating effects of isolation firsthand.
"I've seen it over the years that they give up," Stewart Sutton said. "And that's something Senior Helpers ain't letting happen. We ain't letting you give up."
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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