Last night, Julie, the Mansion Activities Director send me a new and current list of Mansion residents who would love to have Pen Pals write to them, including the residents in the Memory Care unit.

” We have had some new ones,” she wrote: Clara, Ellen, Matt, Gerry, Dale, Madeline, Br. Peter, Helen, Georgianna, Georgiann, Nancy, Peggie, Becky, Jean, Gary, Ben, John, Julie T., Ruth, Claudia, Sharon R., Sharon D., Russell, Lorry, Charlie, Joyce, Helen, Tom B., Tom R., Joann, Ron, Carol, Beverly.

All of these residents have asked to join the Pen Pal program. They’ve been in lockdown since March.

Pen pals can e-mail their messages – [email protected] – or mail them to The Mansion, 11 S. Union Avenue, Cambridge, N.Y., 12816.

The residents love stories about your towns and lives, photos of your animals or gardens, or personal notes on any subject. It is a joy to see them read their messages aloud to one another.

Please understand that many of the residents are not able to write back or respond or acknowledge their letters. Some have tremors in their hands, others have sight or heading issues, few of them have stationery and stamps.

I was supplying those when I could come into the Mansion, but I can’t right now. Julie has special procedures for processing paper messages so that they are safe for the residents.

I still haven’t met some of the new residents. I can tell you that they love to get mail. If you have any questions about the program, please e-mail Julie – [email protected].

And thank you, these are hard and lonely days at the Mansion, messages from the outside world are precious.

(Note: This photo was taken before the outbreak of the pandemic and before social distancing.)