Volunteer and Engage

Spread joy all year long by supporting UNO’s community engagement traditions. Each February, our Make a Valentine for an Older Adult initiative delivers thousands of handmade cards to seniors across the metro—brightening their day with Maverick kindness. During the holiday season, Holiday Gifts for a Senior helps provide meaningful, personalized gifts to older adults who may otherwise go without. Together, these programs connect students, faculty, staff, and community members in uplifting our senior neighbors. Learn how you can get involved in 2026 and continue making an impact.

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2026 Holiday Gifts for a Senior

Help make the holidays brighter for a senior! ❤️

The Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging (ENOA) invites you to participate in our Holiday Gifts for a Senior program! It's easy to make a difference:

🎁 Select an ornament from the tree in CPCAS 211, or contact the UNO Gerontology office unogero@unomaha.edu or 402-554-2272.

🛍️ Purchase the item(s) listed.

🎄Return the ornament and unwrapped gift(s) togehter to the UNO Gerontology office (CPACS 211).

ENOA staff and volunteers will take care of wrapping and delivering the gifts to help make the holiday season a little brighter for local seniors.

Last day for collections is Friday, December 4, 2026.

Thank you for helping us spread the holiday cheer and remind our seniors that they are remembered, valued, and cared for!❤️

Make a Valentine for an Older Adult in 2026

The UNO Department of Gerontology will be delivering Valentine cards to residents of local nursing homes and we need your help!

This is a fun and easy way to share some love! Spread the word and invite your friends and family to join you in making cards!

Please consider the following guidelines when making your cards:

1. Make Valentines personalized rather than producing multiple copies of identical cards
2. 5X11" is a perfect size, preferably made by hand
3. Avoid complex designs or images
4. Avoid religious symbols
5. Keep the messages simple – just the fact that someone thought to make them a Valentine card means a lot to the recipients!

Please make a Valentine or two (or twenty!) and we will take care of delivering them to local nursing home.

Please bring them or mail them to our office on the UNO campus, by Thursday, February 5, 2026.

To drop off Valentine's cards, our office is located in the College of Public Affairs and Community Service building (CPACS) room 211. Please reach out to Kara Negley, knegley@unomaha.edu or 402.554.2272, if you need directions or assistance with parking.

Mail your Valentine's to:

ATTN: MARK KAZOR

UNO DEPARMENT OF GERONTOLOGY-CPACS 211

6001 DODGE STREET

OMAHA NE 68182

Questions? Please contact Mark Kazor in the Gerontology Department: mkazor@unomaha.edu

Thank you for your help!