Spring - Summer 2026 | WVU Health Sciences Center, display case outside of
the Health Sciences Library
Exhibit by Kinslee Watkins, Junior in Communication Sciences and Disorders, with a Gerontology minor.
This exhibit spotlights the compassionate work of Sending Sunshine West Virginia
University. Our mission is to actively combat loneliness and social isolation
among senior citizens and hospice patients. We achieve this through the simple
yet powerful act of handwritten card writing, while simultaneously promoting
volunteerism within the WVU student body.
Sending Sunshine WVU members meet approximately once a month on campus. These
sessions provide a collaborative space to create personalized, hand-decorated
cards and to log community service hours. After each meeting, the cards are
carefully collected and distributed to local nursing homes, providing a meaningful
connection to those who might otherwise feel forgotten.
This display features a selection of the actual cards created by our student
volunteers, alongside photographs capturing our card-making workshops and
informational posters detailing the profound impact that a few thoughtful
words can have on a patient’s emotional well-being. This exhibit is a celebration
of community, compassion, and the tangible power of a handmade gesture.