MISSOULA — A little community warmth goes a long way with the temperatures in the negatives.
This Valentine's Day, seniors stuck inside will receive bags of food with a special heart-shaped card made by local kids.
The younger generation is spreading love to the older generation with compassionate Valentine's notes. One card reads, "I am 8 years old and I am in second grade. I hope you stay safe on the icy roads and stay warm. You are important and loved. Love your friend, Hattie."
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First grade students at Lewis and Clark Elementary School intentionally crafted messages to brighten someone's day.
"This makes my heart burst with pride for our community," interim executive director of Families First Learning Lab Katie Samuels said.
Families First brings pink and red supplies to all the classrooms at every school, teaching kids that caring for others will impact the rest of their lives.
"Really building the literacy component, working on reading and writing, and crafting their own messages to people in the community. It brings joy and love," Samuels explained.
Schools across the Garden City took time to make sure seniors getting food deliveries from the Missoula Food Bank and Community Center's ROOTS program know they're cared for.
"I feel like February comes around, and they're like, I might see a little Valentine," senior nutrition and outreach coordinator Faith Cornett said.
Cornett believes this little act of kindness builds unbreakable bonds even though the kids don't meet the seniors they're writing to.
"It just shows the love that this community has for aging neighbors. I think it's a really beautiful connection between children and aging adults in the community," Cornett shared.
Just before Valentine's Day itself, volunteers at the food bank packed over 1,000 bags full of non-perishable food along with the Valentine's. Then, drivers hit their routes; delivering each bag with love.
