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Residents at Lake Forest Senior Living are collecting postcards from all 50 states to mark the nation’s 250th anniversary, and they are asking the community to help them finish by the Fourth of July.
The residents kicked off the USA Postcard Challenge on Memorial Day alongside senior living communities across the country. As of June 18, postcards had arrived from 18 states, with a few duplicates mixed in.
Residents have also mailed all 46 of their Arkansas postcards to participating facilities around the nation. Before sending each one, they wrote a fun Arkansas fact on the card to share a piece of the state with others.
Checking the mail has become a daily highlight. Residents gather to see which state arrives next, and each new postcard brings smiles and a chance to learn about another part of the country.
One surprise came from overseas. The group received a postcard from Scotland, which does not count toward the 50-state goal but showed how far a simple postcard can travel.
The residents still need postcards from 32 states to complete the map. Those are Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
Anyone with family, friends or former neighbors in those states is encouraged to ask them to send a postcard.
Postcards can be mailed to Lake Forest Senior Living, Attn: Bethany Clark, 300 Good Samaritan Drive, Mountain Home, AR 72653.
Clark serves as the community’s activity and wellness director.
