20 | APRIL 23 • 2020
W
hen Groves High
School closed in
March because of
the coronavirus epidemic,
junior Isaiah Rubin had some
time on his hands.
“The school was having
a hard time transitioning
to online instruction,” said
his mom Lindsay Hords of
Birmingham. “We knew he
had to do something, so our
thoughts turned to how we
could help the community.”
Isaiah, who had his bar
mitzvah at Temple Israel, said
he and his friends were doing
nothing, mostly just playing
video games. “We wanted to
do something for the commu-
nity that didn’
t involve asking
people for monetary dona-
tions,” he said.
He had heard from his aunt,
Ali Otis, who is a nurse at
Beaumont Royal Oak, about
how coronavirus patients in
the hospital were isolated
and lonely. So Isaiah initiated
Caring Cards for COVID-19
weeks ago with the hopes
of safely delivering greet-
ing cards to local hospitals
and senior centers. His aunt
helped with distributing the
cards to those who could use
a boost.
Isaiah began by collect-
ing hand-made greeting
and get-well cards from his
friends, and then created
flyers with his mom and
shared the idea on social
media. Local nurses who
saw the posts reached out,
requesting cards for their
COVID-19 floors.
“Then, it just ballooned,”
said Isaiah, who has distribut-
ed 350 cards so far.
Each week, he goes to sev-
eral drop boxes he has set
up around Birmingham and
West Bloomfield to pick up
the cards. The cards are safe-
ly quarantined for five days
before being distributed to
local nurses for those in need.
So far, the cards have gone to
Beaumont facilities in Royal
Oak, Troy and Farmington, as
well as to local seniors living
in centers without family vis-
iting to cheer them up.
Since Caring Cards for
COVID-19 has gone viral on
social media, Isaiah has been
contacted by local families,
Brownie troops and Cub
Scout troops all wanting to
make cards for the project.
“This is a wonderful
mission for families to get
involved as it’
s a commu-
nity effort without a dona-
tion,” Hords said. “It’
s a great
activity and really can help
another person.”
Isaiah is looking forward
to his senior year at Groves
and eventually studying busi-
ness at college. “I’
m glad I’
ve
found a way to help out —
providing love and kindness
for those who need it,” he
said.
There is a public dropbox at Groves
High School. For information, email
isaiahrubin11@gmail.com.
Jews in the D
Spreading Cheer
Teenager spearheads
initiative to get hand-
made cards to lonely
patients and seniors.
JACKIE HEADAPOHL
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
COURTESY OF ISAIAH RUBIN
Isaiah Rubin
COURTESY OF UMATTER
Teen Talks
UMatter’
s teen mental health program
continues online.
T
een Talks, a UMatter
program, is available
during the quarantine
through Zoom. This program
was designed to give teens a safe
environment for conversations
about mental health.
Last fall, the program met
weekly at Friendship Circle
during a four-week session.
Participants were split into two
groups, each facilitated by a
member of the UMatter teen
board with a list of discussion
questions surrounding one
theme. Participants stayed in the
same groups from week to week
to feel more familiar with one
another.
“People who have come
repeatedly get really comfort-
able,
” said Amanda Smith, a
Friendship Circle staff member
involved with the Teen Talks.
The stay-at-home order was
issued during the spring session,
so participants of the Teen Talks
have been unable to meet in
person. The solution was Zoom.
Now teens can enter group
calls using the app. UMatter
has engaged more participants
through social media.
“I think the Zoom calls have
been great so far,
” said Noa
Alterman, a senior at Cranbrook
who has attended Teen Talks
since the fall. “It’
s an effective
way to continue with these pro-
grams even when we can’
t meet
in person.
”
Her favorite part about the
Teen Talks is the open conver-
sations about mental health in a
judgement-free environment.
An April 13 evening Zoom
session focused on gratitude.
It opened with an icebreaker.
Participants shared one thing
that made them smile recently.
This was followed by an hour-
long discussion about gratitude
led by Smith. At the end, par-
ticipants were asked to text two
people they’
re grateful for and
share some of the big takeaways
from the discussion.
“It’
s been really successful.
We’
re getting a lot of new people
who weren’
t able to join before,
”
Smith said, mentioning one par-
ticipant from Ann Arbor who
could not have joined in person.
“In a time like this, it’
s so nice
to still have a chance to share
your feelings,
” said Marnie
Jacobs, a freshman at North
Farmington High School who
recently joined the Teen Talks
through Zoom. “Everyone has a
chance to talk and everyone is so
supportive.
”
JENNA ANDERSON CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Teens who previously got together in person to discuss mental health are now
meeting on Zoom — this photo was taken before the stay-at-home order.