Spreading Love: UNO Students Make Valentine’s Day Cards for Older Adults

A newer tradition has developed at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO), where students at the Department of Gerontology are making Valentine’s Day cards to older adults in retirement communities and assisted living facilities across Omaha.

Throughout February, tables have been placed at the Milo Bail Student Center, stocked with paper and crafting materials, where students can make cards as they come and go.

Meanwhile other students in an Introduction to Gerontology class participated in a crafting session with 15 older adults from Christ Community Church in Omaha, together making cards while building meaningful bonds.

“This is a special day,” said Alexis Cervantes, a freshman pre-nursing student. “You’re not just making cards with older adults — you’re connecting with them and learning about one another.”

Cervantes already works as a certified nursing assistant in an assisted living facility, primarily in memory care with residents living with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. He said the project felt like a natural extension of his job, reinforcing lessons he’s learned both in the classroom and at work — particularly the importance of maintaining positive energy when interacting with older adults.

For Clare Shields, also a freshman pre-nursing student, the Valentine’s Day project highlighted the emotional impact of small, intentional acts of kindness towards an older adult. Shields said that during her CNA training, she noticed many older adults lacked consistent social connection, making the idea of receiving a handmade Valentine’s card especially meaningful.

During the activity, conversation tables filled with college students and older adults reflected many shared experiences: same hometowns and familiar stomping grounds around Omaha. Students and older adults even exchanged similar struggles about adulting, whether it was finances or completing chores around the house. One older adult shared advice about saving money early in life. Another reflected on how she enjoyed volunteering for causes around Omaha, but she never had time for it before retirement.

Shields felt an immediate connection with these adults, as she grew up attending Christ Community Church. That shared connection helped spark deeper conversations about faith and aging, as well as the challenges and freedoms that come with growing older.

One conversation, in particular, stood out. One older adult spoke about physical changes that come with age but emphasized the peace she’s found in letting go of things that once felt urgent. In return, Shields shared what it’s like to be young — the joy of “having the world at your fingertips,” as she described it as well as the urgency of accomplishing goals.

“She told me that I don’t need to rush,” Shields said. “She said she wished she would have taken more time to just be present at the moment. I really was about to start crying, because she’s right. It was a beautiful conversation.”

By the end of the session, tables were covered in finished cards. For students like Cervantes and Shields, the project reinforced why they were drawn to not just to care for people but to connect with them. And for the older adults who will soon receive those Valentine’s cards across Omaha, the messages serve as a reminder that there is someone thinking about them.

“When our professor explained that the cards would be sent to older adults, I just thought it was such a beautiful thing,” Shields said. “They’ll get a card from somebody and that matters.”