Meet Jacob Cramer | Nonprofit Founder

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jacob Cramer and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jacob, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I founded Love For Our Elders in 2013 because of my grandpa.

A grandparent’s love will never grow old. Growing up, my Saturday afternoons were colored by strolls in the neighborhood park with grandma and grandpa. Afterwards, they’d treat me to crackers and milk, and a cookie if I was lucky. We’d even vacation together, have sleepovers, and play Scrabble.

I was devastated when my grandpa died. To honor him, I began to volunteer at my local senior living community as the “bingo boy,” theatrically calling letter-number combinations to enthusiastic players. You’d be amazed how competitive our games could become.

I started visiting the residents one-on-one, and some of them became my best friends. During my awkward teenage years when I often felt alone, I found people who cared about me.

But I quickly found out the world didn’t always care about them. In fact, many would tell me that I was their only visitor. They hadn’t heard from family in months.

That didn’t seem fair. At 13, it was common sense: the residents made me feel so loved; so surely, they deserved to feel the same. I went home and began scribbling handwritten letters of love to give to my older friends. It made them smile. I traded my title for “letter boy.”

Since then, I’ve been on a mission to alleviate a growing loneliness epidemic.

The stats behind social isolation: In 2020, 7.7 million community-dwelling adults age 65 and older in the United States were socially isolated, and 1.3 million were severely socially isolated [1]. More strikingly, 43% of Americans age 60 and older report feeling lonely, which is shown to increase risk of dementia, heart disease, stroke, and premature fatality from all causes [2].

That mission now includes an amazing team and more than 50,000 volunteers across 70 countries working together to fight loneliness with love. Since 2013, we’ve mailed hundreds of thousands of thousands of letters to senior communities, created a storybook of inspiring seniors, and facilitated in-person volunteering events. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we compiled video messages of hope, love, and encouragement, ran education and awareness social media campaigns that reached tens of millions of people, and engaged individuals, classrooms and companies in remote service.

All it takes is 5 minutes to write a letter — and you’re invited to join us.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’m a master’s student studying education while teaching at a preschool. I enjoy helping others and I’m proud of my ability to engage elders and little ones. You’re constantly learning and growing, and “pivoting” is happening basically every week as you adjust your expectations, classroom management, etc.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Kathy Frazier, the gifted coordinator at Orange High School, mentored me for years and believed in myself when I was struggling with my self-esteem and didn’t understand my place in the world. I am endlessly grateful to her! She continues to support me and most recently inspired me to write a picture book, which I wrote the first draft for at age 14 with her on a plane ride.

Website: loveforourelders.org

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacob-cramer/