Thank you.
My grandfather passed away in August of 2010.
His death left a major impact on me.
I began to understand just how precious life is
recognizing the true vulnerability of the elderly.
Being just ten years old,
I was truly struck by the vulnerability and loneliness of the elderly.
Seeing someone you love so dearly in such a weak and miserable state
is really heartbreaking.
I wanted to make a difference in the lives of the elderly
in honor of my grandfather.
This motivated me to begin volunteering in my local nursing home, Montefiore.
There, I had the incredible opportunity
to establish strong relationships with many of the residents.
Sadly, I have seen many of my old friends come and go.
In particular,
I forged a beautiful friendship with the sweetest woman named Cynthia.
Unfortunately, I was her only visitor.
I would walk into her room every Sunday afternoon,
excited to delve into the world of stocks,
participate in a heated debate on Obama's healthcare policies,
or just listen to enlightening tales of her childhood.
It was easy to overlook the labyrinth of tubes
running throughout her room
and her inability to move the majority of her body
because once I got to know
the wonderful woman inside the 77-year-old Cynthia,
I knew I'd found myself a true friend.
On February, 7 of this year, Cynthia passed away,
but her memory will always live on in my heart.
She made it clear to me
that the elderly have really paved the pathway of success for my generation,
and they have so many invaluable experiences
that we can all benefit our own lives from.
My experiences at Montefiore really opened my eyes
to the reality of isolation and loneliness that so many elderly people face.
I got to witness firsthand the situations of nursing home residents:
having little connection to the outside world
and nothing to which they can look forward.
I wanted to change this.
By combining my passion for letter-writing and my desire to give back to the elderly,
I founded an organization called Love for the Elderly.
So many elderly people in our nation are neglected, isolated, and forgotten.
The elderly are an incredible group of people,
and they deserve to be appreciated.
It is so imperative to demonstrate kindness and love to the elderly,
an awe-inspiring assemblage
who have immense wisdom and knowledge from which we can all learn.
Even if they are living in nursing homes,
possibly immobile or dependent on medication,
they are still human beings, amazing ones at that.
Wouldn't you want someone to support you
with love, with kindness, and with compassion
during your final and most precious stage of life?
We need to treat the elderly the way they deserve to be treated.
Since December of 2013,
I've collected handwritten letters of kindness,
written by strangers from all across the globe,
which I then distribute to various nursing homes
throughout the country.
These letters are simply short and sweet notes,
filled with the words of kindness,
designed to make the elderly recipient feel loved,
thus combating isolation and loneliness in nursing homes.
It is so important that we make sure
that the elderly are appreciated and do not feel alone.
I started this organization by myself,
in the comfort of my own living room writing my own letters.
Soon, I gained the support of a few of my friends,
which pushed me to teach myself about branding and marketing,
search engine optimization
(Laughter)
and website design.
Now Love for the Elderly has really grown
beyond where I could have ever imagined it being.
People from all across the globe have united with me
in an attempt to spread love to the elderly.
To this day, I've received over 10,000 letters
from 43 countries in six continents.
It's really heartwarming to see the outpour of support
I've received from various nursing homes.
(Applause)
Here's one response I received
from a nursing home in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, called Prairie Hills Nursing Home,
"I just finished distributing the stack of letters
that your organizations sent us and wow!
I am blown away!
After dinner, when I gave them the letters,
each of our residents went to bed with a smile!
The letters are all so wonderful, they are true gifts of love and kindness!
Thank you so very much for sending these letters.
The smiles on the faces of our residents were priceless
when they read the letters!"
It is so heartwarming to read these responses,
and it continues to motivate me
to make a difference in the lives of the elderly.
Whether it'd be through my organization
or simply by reconnecting with the elders in your life,
you can generate change in the lives of the elderly.
Kindness is like a spark;
once lit, it spreads uncontrollably.
Ignite your spark.
(Applause)
(Cheers)
I think that all of you have postcards
on the back of your name badges.
If you would take those out,
along with the pen you received when you came in here,
I would absolutely love it
if all of you could write letters for my organization.
These letters are just short and sweet notes,
filled with words of kindness,
designed to make the elderly recipient feel loved.
Tell them about yourself, tell them a joke or a riddle,
and make sure that they know that they are appreciated.
Please address them as "Dear friend," or even a simple "Hello there!"
One person can make a difference, and everyone should try.
So we're going to try right now.
Bob Herzog: You realize you just got an entire room full of adults
to do exactly what you wanted them to do?
(Laughter)
You get how cool that is? I mean, you know, right?
(Laughter)
Jacob Cramer: Thank you all so much for writing letters for my organization
and for being such a wonderful audience; I really appreciate it.
BH: How about Jacob? Thanks buddy! Thank you.
(Applause)