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PeoriaTimes.com /PeoriaTimes WHAM launches Cards for Seniors campaign

BYSARA EDWARDS Peoria Times Staff Writer

The nonprofit arts group WHAM is breaking out the cardstock and craft scissors as a part of its new Cards for Seniors campaign.

When retirement homes and assisted-living facilities quickly went under lockdown, seniors were no longer able to leave the facilities or accept visitors to protect the other residents.

WHAM started its Cards for Seniors campaign so folks staying in these facilities know they aren’t forgotten, by having the community send homemade cards and messages to give to them.

Connie Whitlock, the executive director of WHAM, said seniors living in these homes and facilities often feel forgotten, and with the spread of COVID-19 and the lockdowns they are feeling more lonely now. She said artists with WHAM wanted to find a way to show they aren’t forgotten during this time.

“Some of our artists have been making cards, and we’re going to hand deliver them to senior centers or places that have people who are isolated from the public and not able to accept visitors,” Whitlock said.

Whitlock and WHAM artists started distributing the cards on April 14 to the Place in Surprise and a private senior-care facility. So far they have delivered 68 cards and have hundreds waiting to be delivered.

“WHAM is closed right now to the public, and it’s just something to help the community,” Whitlock said.

WHAM staff has created art kits with card-making materials in a bag that people can pick up from outside WHAM.

When they are finished making their cards, people can place the cards back in the bag and contact WHAM to arrange a time to drop them off to be sanitized and isolated for four days to prevent contamination.

“Our mission is to provide arts for all, and we know that art isn’t just about selling. It’s about communication,” Whitlock said. “When things like this happen, people who receive them get a really warm feeling when they know they are cared about. The people who make them do also and know that they are helping the community. That’s why we started this campaign.”

Whitlock said any senior center in the West Valley can participate in the campaign and can call or email her if they would like to receive cards.

“I’m hoping we’ll be able to deliver several hundreds of cards,” she said. “We’re delivering anywhere to people who need it in the West Valley. We’re all about community, and it’s people helping people.”

For more information, visit whamart.org/cards-for-seniors. The WHAM Cards for Seniors program is making cards for area assisted-living and retirement centers. (Photo courtesy WHAM)

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ANSWERS ON PAGE 16

King Crossword

ACROSS

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DOWN

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GO FIGURE!

by Linda Thistle The idea of Go Figure is to arrive at the figures given at the bottom and right-hand columns of the diagram by following the arithmetic signs in the order they are given (that is, from left to right and top to bottom). Use only the numbers below the diagram to complete its blank squares and use each of the nine numbers only once.

SUDOKU TIME

Place a number in the empty boxes in such a way that each row across, each column down and each small 9-box square contains all of the numbers from one to nine.

DIFFICULTY THIS WEEK H H Moderate HH Challenging HHH HOO BOY!

DIFFICULTY THIS WEEK H H H Moderate HH Challenging HHH HOO BOY!

Each numbered row contains two clues and two answers. The two answers differ from each other by only one letter, which has already been inserted. For example, if you exchange the A from MASTER for an I, you get MISTER. Do not change the order of the letters. EVEN EXCHANGE by Donna Pettman

SCRAMBLERS

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