Franklin Square, Maple Pointe residents become pen pals

Nicole Sorace noticed that the residents of the Maple Pointe assisted living facility in Rockville Centre were lonely, as Long Islanders continue to self-isolate to stop the spread of Covid-19, and resolved to make their days a little brighter.

“They have lost the socialization amongst each other,” Sorace, the dining supervisor at Maple Pointe, explained, “and are getting very depressed.”

So, she decided to ask her fellow Franklin Square residents if they would like to become pen pals with the Maple Pointe residents. In a post on one of the Franklin Square community Facebook pages on April 8, Sorace explained that she would send Franklin Square residents the names of some of the Maple Pointe residents, and they could write each other letters. “They will love it,” she wrote, “and you can learn something new about someone you’ve never met.”

Speaking to the Herald, she explained that the assisted living residents have lived through wars and other illnesses, but have never lived through a pandemic like this, “which at their ages, I find fascinating.”

“So now you have all of these different generations experiencing this for the first time ever,” Sorace said. “We can use each other for support and positivity during this time in our history.”

Her Facebook post garnered more than 500 responses, and she said more than 100 people have signed up to send and receive letters. When the pandemic is finally over, she said, the Franklin Square and Maple Pointe residents could meet up.

“They’re so excited to be getting their letters,” Sorace said of those living at Maple Pointe, adding, “I think it’s important on both ends — helping other people makes everyone feel good.”