PEN PALS IDEA BECOMES GLOBAL SUCCESS STORY

Tammy gets lots of mail

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused havoc around the world but has also created some great new ideas and initiatives. One of these initiatives is the Down syndrome Pen Pals programme which started in WinstonSalem in North Carolina, and in a few months has included families across every corner of the United States and 11 other countries. Programme lead Jay Callahan is now inviting New Zealand people with Down syndrome who want to meet new people and enjoy writing to join the 350 other participants who have already joined up. “In late March, the Down Syndrome Association of Greater Winston-Salem wanted its members with Down syndrome and their families to meet new friends with Down syndrome, while they were stuck at home during COVID-19 quarantine,” explains Jay who is Executive Director of the Down Syndrome Association of Greater WinstonSalem.

Caitlyn Chambers

“We reached out to the Omaha, Nebraska Down Syndrome Alliance of the Midlands to see if they had members who might want to partner up with the Winston-Salem organisation as pen pals and the Down Syndrome Pen Pal Program was born.” Callahan is blown away by the success of this very simple idea that has captured the imagination around the world. “The pen pal members range in ages from 16 months to 62-years-old and come from all different backgrounds." “The program is growing daily and many of the members are on their third or fourth letter to their new pen pal.” Jay says it is really easy to become a pen pal by just emailing your name, age and address to jay@ dsagws.org. From there Jay puts you in touch with others. The birthdays have become a real focal point for the group as Jay coordinates members who like to receive or send birthday cards so some members have their mailbox full with birthday cards from around the world. If you want to find out more, you can check out their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/ groups/dspenpalprogram/ “During these times, we believe that this program is a great example of good that has come out of COVID-19,” says Jay.