Family project makes big impact


Ronald “Beans” Behrends, a resident at MNRC, shares his personalized HappyGram he recently received. MNRC signed up with the online HappyGram service, started by former Scotch Grove resident Bob Helgens and his family, in mid-April. (Photos submitted)

Some residents have enjoyed their HappyGrams so much they started saving them in a scrapbook as Audrey Latare did here. You can send a simple message or attach a photo with any HappyGram.
HappyGrams bring smile to senior citizens, especially during COVID-19
By: 
Kim Brooks
Express Editor

     After the idea originated in 2014, the family business and passion project HappyGram has made a huge impact.

     HappyGram is the brainchild and passion project of the Helgens family: Bob, Mary Beth, Paul, JP, and Kylie Alger.

     Bob grew up in Scotch Grove, and was actually inspired to do something for senior citizens living in nursing homes, assisted living centers, and retirement homes after visiting his own father, Vernon Helgens in a retirement in Florida.

     Any retirement community is able to sign up online. Then, family, friends, and anonymous people visit happygram.org and send HappyGram messages and photos to seniors.

     “We have seen HappyGrams kept on the nightstands or refrigerator for daily review,” said the Helgens family.

     Locally, Monticello Nursing and Rehab Center and Pennington Square Assisted Living are a part of the HappyGram family. Administrator Laurissa Martin shared that one resident enjoys her HappyGrams so much she keeps them in a scrapbook.

     “Residents are really excited about getting these,” she said. “They love to show them off to other residents and staff. It’s a great way for them to keep in contact with their families.”

     Martin said not only do the residents receive frequent HappyGrams from their loved ones, many get surprise messages that makes their day.

     It all began when Bob was visiting his father and noticed that the seniors weren’t receiving anything other than bills and junk mail, really nothing to bring a smile to their faces. He knew many kids use their phone to text or e-mail. He encouraged his own kids to text their grandparents, but not all older people have cell phones, let alone smartphones with increased technology.

     That’s when the Helgens family created the first HappyGram website.

     “How could we help get a card in those mailboxes from someone who cares?” proposed Bob at the time.

     From there, phase two really pushed the envelope in late 2018 when they started sending HappyGrams to Mary Beth’s father, who lived in Cedar Rapids.

     “It really got off the ground then,” recalled JP.

     From there, it’s been word of mouth that’s helped grow the HappyGram family of recipients.

     Knowing your mom, dad, grandparent, aunt/uncle’s nursing home is hooked up with HappyGram, all you have to do is visit their website (happygram.org), select their senior community, and then create your message. Not only can you send personalized messages, you can also attach a photo. JP said some people even send fun activities such as sudoku puzzles. Then, someone on the Helgens side digitally creates the message and formats it into a letter-size card (8.5x11) with large print so it can be easily read. The messages are sent off as a PDF via e-mail to a designated staff member at the nursing home where they are printed out and hand-delivered to the residents.

     As long as your HappyGram is created and sent off by 5 p.m., the senior home will receive it in their e-mail the very next day. It’s not uncommon for the Helgenses to format 100 HappyGrams in a day.

     “HappyGrams are delivered Monday through Friday, so messages sent on the weekend will be received the following Monday,” the Helgenses explained.

     They have seen families use HappyGram to send photos of grandchildren, pets, birthday/anniversary messages, graduation, vacations and so much more. HappyGram, more recently, has especially been a need during the COVID-19 pandemic as families cannot physically come and see their loved ones right now.

     A niche the Helgenses never anticipated was giving people from around the world a way to keep in touch with loved ones back home. HappyGram has gone international as people in such countries as Vietnam send notes to their grandparents here in Iowa in less than 24 hours, faster than traditional mail.

     “HappyGram is being used in ways we’ve never anticipated,” said JP.

     Because HappyGram is technology-based, it’s easy for kids to jump online and send messages to grandparents themselves.

     Thanks to Kylie’s connections, HappyGram has partnered with Roosevelt Creative Corridor Business Academy in Cedar Rapids. This win-win partnership allows students to work on their spelling, grammar, and sentence structure while creating heartfelt letters for senior citizens. Teachers can grade the HappyGrams before they’re submitted.

     “RCCBA sixth graders have sent hundreds of anonymous HappyGrams to seniors,” Kylie said.

     She’s also seen HappyGram help those students learning English as a second language.

     When you visit happygram.org, you’ll see a educational tab dedicated to school-age children.

     The Helgenses said the best-kept secret about HappyGram is the fact that surprise messages are a click away.

     “Even if you don’t personally know someone in a senior home, you have the option to ‘surprise a senior’ with an uplifting note and image,” they said.

     The surprise option was, again, a family decision when they put an ad in their newspaper asking people to send surprise Valentine’s Day notes to senior citizens.

     HappyGram works with 32 senior centers in Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, and Georgia. Aside from the Monticello care centers, those in Anamosa and Cascade are also on their website.

     What started as a way to put a smile on their Opa’s face (Vernon Helgens) has turned into a passion project that now brings happiness to thousands of senior residents in the Midwest and beyond.

     “His joy was contagious,” they said when Vernon received so many cards in the mail for his 90th birthday, stemming from a newspaper card shower. “We kept tinkering with the idea and offered a pilot program to see if the service would take off…and it has.

     “It’s emotionally rewarding to be part of brightening a day for a senior. Who doesn’t like to have a note from family or friends in their mailbox?”

     The Helgenses admitted that HappyGram has not only brought other families together, especially in times like this, but their family as well with everyone living throughout the Midwest.

     “We have weekly family huddles discussing new ideas,” they said.

     They also attend senior health fairs and meet with senior homes together to pitch their service and explain the process.

     As HappyGram grows, the Helgenses have exciting future ideas as well. They’d like to involve graphic design students at local schools with coding programs to learn how to automate their card-delivery service. To help keep HappyGram sustainable, they also want to incorporate paid advertising and sponsorships on the digital cards from businesses that cater to the senior population. When all that comes into play, a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Alzheimer’s Association.

     “Our goal is to deliver joy in mailboxes one note at a time,” the Helgenses said.

     “HappyGrams just bring an energy and lifts their spirits,” said Mary Beth.

     “It’s been a labor of love,” added Kylie. “And HappyGrams last longer than a phone call.”

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