By Jamisyn Larkin / Features Reporter
Last year, senior Riley Kate Higgins found a new way for Harpeth Hall girls to build stronger connections throughout her community. While scrolling through social media, Higgins found a great service opportunity on her explore page to connect with residents all around the South Region.
“I was looking into it and realized it had a great mission and it was something that people would be really passionate about at Harpeth Hall,” Higgins said.
Letters For Rose, started by two young highschool girls from New Jersey has influenced the lives of many elderly residents in search of care and joy. “Essentially, the greater mission of Letters For Rose is to write letters and engage people who are older in the community and create a bridge for people in retirement homes, in isolation” Higgins said.
The program allows high schoolers to write letters to people in resident homes, whose families are not able to visit them because of Covid-19.
Higgins is now the leader of the West Nashville Chapter along with senior Lily Pinkston who attends Pope John Paul II Preparatory school. Both of the girls work with students at their school to send and decorate letters to the residents.
Higgins and Pinkston often find places around Nashville for other students and citizens to participate in the program. They have set up collection stations by libraries and have reached out to other schools for their participation as well.
Some students at Harpeth Hall, during their free time, have written heartfelt letters to the residents.
“It was so great spending time with friends and I loved being a part of something bigger than myself,” sophomore Jori Winfrey said.
Next semester, Higgins will open the program back up for any HarpethHall student to participate.
Overall, Higgins has provided a new sense of community engagement for residents and students during difficult times. Letters for Rose serves as a new opportunity at Harpeth Hall for service and making new connections.
