During Easter break, Sacred Heart Schools junior Georgia Butler dropped off dozens of letters – some with colorful drawings in celebration of the holiday – at the Atherton school's security gate to deliver to the Oakwood Retirement Center.

Students and faculty at the private Catholic school exchange letters with senior citizens at the retirement community on campus, a project called "Letters for Oakwood," launched in March when the school moved to distance learning because of the COVID-19 outbreak. Oakwood houses 52 Religious of the Sacred Heart (RSCJ) women, a congregation of nuns, according to the Oakwood website.

"I had the pleasure of hearing back from one of our RSCJ at Oakwood (sisters) regarding the letter I sent and it was the most fulfilling feeling," Butler said in an email. "I am so glad that the project is bringing our RSCJ at Sacred Heart in Atherton joy."

Ordinarily, the Sacred Heart Society, a group of about 35 Sacred Heart high school seniors, meet individually with the Oakwood residents throughout the school year, according to the website, and many return after graduation to visit "their sister."

While away from school, Butler began to miss her ability to "say hello and chat" during the course of a typical school day. Butler believes it's more important now – when people are socially isolated – to maintain those connections, albeit through written communications.

Butler found support from Sr. Sally Rud at Oakwood and Reid Particelli, director of service learning at the school, on the project.

She set up a Google Document to collect letters from her peers and teachers. Most write letters generally to the sisters, but sisters may reply to individual letters.

Butler prints out the letters and drives to campus for a weekly Saturday delivery, where the letters sit for a 24-hour period before being touched, an extra precaution against potential coronavirus contamination.

"I really appreciate all the efforts students are putting into their letters,” Butler said. "Last week, one sophomore wrote a song in her letter, which I thought was truly incredible."

The project takes considerable planning and the slower nature of digital communication with participants — when students previously were able to spend time with the seniors face-to-face — as well as the extra steps of printing out and delivering the letters adds challenges that Butler said have "taught me patience."

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