Letters that heal: How a volunteer connected generations with letters

When her grandmother passed away, Valeria Cervantes was left with something more than grief: the weight of the stories she never got to hear. 

In her final days, she would ask say, “Come, sit down. I want to tell you something.” But Valeria, still young and frightened by her state of health, could not spend time to listen.

Later on, after she was gone, Valeria realized what she needed in that moment was to simply listen to her: “For the elderly, stories are the only legacy they can leave us… the lessons life has taught them over the years.”

From this grief, ECO de Corazones (ECHO of Hearts) was born, a volunteer program that connects abandoned seniors with members of the Tec de Monterrey community through handwritten letters.

The idea became an official Tec Volunteers program, which they are now attempting to replicate on more campuses in the country.

Back to writing (and listening)

For 10 weeks, 29 senior citizens from Las Elodias nursing home, located in the State of Mexico, and 29 volunteers —teachers, staff, and students— wrote letters to each other the old-fashioned way: by hand and on paper.

“Some volunteers would say to me, ‘My hand got tired from writing.’ We’re not used to it any longer. But, that just made it all the more special.”

Each letter was delivered to mailboxes placed on campus and at the nursing home. 

Sometimes, the envelopes were sent via Uber. There was a new delivery every Tuesday, like a connection ritual.

“Writing a letter may seem a small thing, but it changes so much more than we might imagine.”- Valeria Cervantes

What started out as a simple exercise turned into something more profound. This was the case for Paty, an older adult who at first wrote angrily:

“I don’t want you to write to me,” she said. But her volunteer, an art teacher, did not give up.

“I proposed changing his partner. And he replied: ‘I’m sure words can change a heart.’ Those words stayed with me.”

Later on, Paty greeted him with a warm smile. They talked about art, Cirque du Soleil, Da Vinci. Everything changed.

There is also the story of Noel, a senior citizen with cerebral palsy who barely spoke.

“We were told he couldn’t answer letters. However, with support and patience, he began to speak, to make an effort to communicate. It was incredible.”

“A visit here is like gold”: what a letter means to someone living in solitude

For many of the seniors who participated in the volunteer program, letters were not just paper and ink: they were companionship. 

At the Las Elodias nursing home, where ECO de Corazones took place, most of the residents have been abandonedby their families or lived on the streets.

“One time an older gentleman told us, ‘I speak for everyone: a visitor in this place is like gold. And even more so when someone comes to listen to us, not just to entertain us.’”

This type of connection becomes even more valuable when one considers the context. According to the latest 2023 National Health and Nutrition Survey (ENSANUT), around 15 million people in Mexico are elderly, and 16% of them suffer from neglect or abuse.

Likewise, 14.9% present moderate or severe symptoms of depression, a proportion that especially affects older women (18.7%).

For its part, the World Health Organization (WHO) has recognized elder abuse as a public health problem and declared June 15 World Elder Abuse Awareness Day.

“A visitor in this place is like gold. And even more so when someone comes to listen to us, not just to entertain us.’” – senior citizen program volunteer

Unlike other volunteering, this isn’t just about “going somewhere and doing something,” but about sitting with, listening to, and providing company to someone. 

The life stories of seniors — their pasts, their work, their pains and joys — are at the center of the bond.

“Many times, people come to sing to us, or dressed as little clowns, but no one is interested in our stories,” said another resident at the end of the volunteer event.

Valeria sums it up: “No one deserves to end their life feeling alone. It’s not about judging those who left them, but about remembering that they’re still human beings, with emotions, regrets, memories... and a lot to teach us.”

Paulina Salazar, from the Tec Volunteers program, agrees that this type of initiative is key to making visible a population that is often left off the radar.

“There are campaigns for all kinds of causes: the environment, children, animals... but seniors continue to be an invisible population. ECO de Corazones opened a space for listening, seeing, and providing company.”

Although a letter may seem a small thing, in many cases, it was the only thing anyone had written to them in years. 

And that gesture, for those who live alone, changes everything.

From community service to volunteering

Before launching ECO de Corazones as a volunteer at PrepaTec, Valeria Cervantes was already coordinating her own community service project. 

Her organization, Eternal Stories, was recognized as a social training organization at the State of Mexico campus (CEM), which allowed students to perform their community service there.

From this space, Valeria collected life stories of seniors and transformed them into illustrated narratives, poetry, or animations.

As a chemical engineering student at CEM, a new proposal came up: the head of community service at her campus suggested that she also start a volunteer program.

That’s when she thought of the letters. Inspired by the way her grandmother communicated by writing letters and reciting poetry, Valeria proposed connecting generations through correspondence.

“I said: maybe for them writing letters is something special, and for us it’s about reconnecting from the heart.”

“I’m sure that words can change a heart.” – program volunteer Tec teacher

With support from the Tec Volunteers program, the project was formalized at the State of Mexico campus. 

Paulina Salazar, leader of Tec Volunteers strategic initiatives, says that:

“Vale raised her hand with her idea, and we helped her create it. She already had everything.”

In addition, according to Paulina, Valeria’s project fulfilled several key elements that the Tec Volunteers program looks for in every initiative:

• Clear and positive social impact, with a well-defined problem
• Alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
• A structured methodology, with specific activities and a clearly identified target population
• Participation based on the donation of time and talent, not on material contributions
• A clear work schedule, with welcome, support, and closing sessions for volunteers
• And, in the case of a student proposal, having the support of a teacher or staff member

This is how the project grew. Today, ECO de Corazones is part of the official Tec Volunteers catalog, with the possibility of expanding to more campuses.

“Today, there’s already interest in campuses such as Tampico, Mixcoac, and Monterrey,” says Paulina.

What started with letters led to her representing Mexico in China

Moreover, this project has not only impacted those who write and receive letters: it has also opened new doors for Valeria. 

Thanks to ECO de Corazones, she was selected as one of 40 young people in the world to participate in an international program for social entrepreneurship with artificial intelligence in China.

“When I saw the call for proposals, I wasn’t sure about applying, but I submitted ECO as part of my proposal, and that’s what opened that door for me.

“It made me realize that this is no longer just touching hearts here, but it’s starting to echo in other parts of the world.”

“For the elderly, stories are the only legacy they can leave us... the lessons life has taught them over the years.” – Valeria Cervantes

She now dreams that the initiative will expand and become a movement with national impact.

“I never imagined that ECO would resonate so much. But it’s real. And, I want it to go further: for other campuses to make it their own, for there to be a volunteer conference where everyone shares what they experienced by writing. 

“Because writing a letter may seem small, but it changes so much more than we might imagine.”

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