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.

