Connecting Cornubia with Pen Pals, Dinosaurs and the Furthest Town from the Sea

The importance of connection can never be underestimated. Think about how you feel when another person takes the time to reach out to connect with you… for no other reason than to just say hello, see how you are and be genuinely interested in the answer. No agenda, no ulterior motives… they just chose to invest a bit of their valuable time into letting you know they thought of you and want you to know they care.

Now try to imagine how much that contact must mean to an older person living in aged care, even more so when the past year has interrupted so much human connection.

Which is why we love sharing this story of the special relationship our Cornubia residents have established through a Pen Pal Program with school students from Eromanga State School. This remote school, located in the western outback of Queensland, has only nine students – five in Grade 1, three in Grade 5 and one in Grade 6! The students love writing to our residents and sending them their artwork, and our residents just love receiving these special packages. The value that can be found in a unique connection between the older and younger generations is just a beautiful, special thing – and we love that we can facilitate this for our residents.

A bit of trivia regarding the tiny town of Eromanga, QLD – where our little friends are located. The town has a total population of 45 people, and a claim to fame as being the ‘furthest town from the sea’ in Australia! But that’s not all Eromanga is known for… their latest exciting claim to fame is a significant paleontological discovery of Australia’s largest dinosaur remains. The area has been coined by scientists as the most exciting and prolific dinosaur site in Australia to date. Go Eromanga! And keep those letters and masterpieces coming!