By PEACE IJIYERA
MADE with love from the classroom, to the hands of residents at Dalkeith Heights Retirement Village.
Grade 1, 2, 3 and 4 students from St Michael’s Primary School Traralgon, decorated Australia Post and Beyond Blue Connection Postcards with messages spreading love, hope and joy.
Since 2021, Australia Post has partnered with Beyond Blue to distribute these cards, encouraging connection. Over six years, Australia Post has distributed 25 million Connection Postcards nationwide.
With research into loneliness, Beyond Blue reveals that one in three Australians are in “distress” from lacking human interaction. For older Australians, this is especially true.General Manager of Community and Stakeholder Engagement at Australia Post, Nicky Tracey, said, “More Australians are saying they’re feeling disconnected, and that sense of isolation can have a real impact on wellbeing”.
The initiative responds to the “growing need for everyday human connection.”
Melissa Spehr, Senior Postal Officer and Brett Eddy, Delivery Manager at Australia Post Traralgon, came to the primary school to talk to students and collect the cards. The students were in awe as Mr Eddy walked his fully electric delivery bike into the classroom.
“I could see the smiles … it was exciting for them and me for that matter, not something I’ve done before,” he said.
Grade 2 students Leo and Samuel were proud of their cards and were “happy” to make them.
On Leo’s card he wrote, “you are unique”.
To hopefully put a smile on the residents faces, Samuel wrote a joke along the lines of this:
“The lettuce and tomato had a race, the lettuce was losing. What did the lettuce say to the tomato? I’m going to catch up (ketchup).”
Both boys hope they can make more cards next year.
With the postcards placed in Mr Eddy’s case, the students wished the cards journey mercies on their way to Dalkeith Heights.
Ms Spehr said her work was rewarding.
“I absolutely love doing community work. Anything that Australia Post offers for us to do, out in the community, we try and do a bit of a local initiative where we can take it to the next level … and bring more joy to the local community,” she said.
“It’s so that people can stay connected … and it’s a really great initiative.”
As keen as the students were to make the postcards, the residents were equally keen to receive them. The residents beamed with joy as they read their messages. They spoke about how clever the students were and how delighted they were to receive the cards.
“Stay pawsitive” one card displayed. Other cards displayed messages like “I bee-lieve in you” and “donut give up”.
Grammatically correct? No. Creative, heart-warming and uplifting? Yes.
Ms Spehr reported that the residents were impressed with their postcards, so much so, that some of them wrote back to the students thanking them. Truly bridging the gap between generations and creating connection, one postcard at a time.
