“Pen Pals” Connects Volunteers And Children Of Essential Personnel

Lucy Feldmann, a junior a Severna Park High School, wanted to reach out to the children of front-line workers and first responders, so she created a pen-pal matching service. Her website, called Pan Pals, matches local “teen pal” volunteers with “little pals” (children of essential personnel).

“My teen peers and I want to help these ‘little pal' children who may be feeling the effects of isolation that we all are feeling, but also more confusion and loneliness if one or both parents is called to perform extra work during this challenging time,” Feldmann said. “Once signed up, the little pals receive at least one handwritten letter per week from their teen pal. We started with Anne Arundel Medical Center and are bringing Baltimore Washington Medical Center onboard this week. We are also partnering with the Essential Personnel Child Care Services with the YMCA in Pasadena.”

Pandemic frontline parents or potential teen pals can sign up here.