Dorchester resident Brenda Price is going the extra mile to make sure people living at the Drew Nursing Home feel the love this Valentine’s Day, and she’s looking for your help to do it.

Price is collecting Valentine’s gifts and cards to distribute to residents at the nursing home in time for Valentine’s Day.

Hear Brenda Price in conversation on Tantramar Report:

After working in nursing homes for about 6 years, Price says she noticed the impact that visits could make in the life of a resident. “You can really see their health, both mental and physical, declining as a result of loneliness and isolation,” says Price.

And with strict visitor restrictions in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Price says she knew the isolation would be worse than usual.

“So with Valentine’s coming up,” says Price, “it just kind of struck me that so long as they know there were still people out here who are thinking about them and caring about them, then that should help brighten their day.”

Price says she knows from her experience that special events and occasions also help break the monotony of life in a nursing home.

“So I figured if we could get the community together as a whole, because I know a lot of the drew nursing home residents are from the Sackville and Dorchester area,” says Price. “So it would just let them know that we’re all thinking about them and hopefully bring a smile to their faces and into their hearts for the day.”

Price is looking for, “chocolates, candies, little stuffed animals, little Valentine trinkets,” and has even put in a request to Dorchester Consolidated School for homemade Valentine’s Cards from kids.

The only thing the nursing home can’t accept, she says, is homemade treats or baked goods, for food safety reasons.

Price is hoping to get donations in by this Thursday night, “ or at the very least Friday by noon,” so that she can get the goods to the Drew in time for them to sit through quarantine before being distributed on Valentine’s Day.

If you want to contribute to the project, get in touch with Brenda through Facebook or at auntieb2019@outlook.com. Donations can also be dropped off with Louise Partridge at Dorchester Meals To Go.