Groton — Cards with messages of encouragement to seniors. Care packages with essentials and activities to do while staying at home. Donations of hot meals and homemade masks.

The Groton Senior Center staff said they are seeing an outpouring of generosity from community members, students, and other seniors during the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the senior center’s meal pick-up, many people are not only buying a meal for themselves – but donating one too, said Groton Senior Center Supervisor Mary Jo Riley. People can order in advance takeout meals on weekdays, and the senior center is also delivering meals to homebound seniors.

Groton Senior Center Program Supervisor Cindy Olsen said it started out small when one person paid for another person’s meal, and the recipient wanted to donate a meal in turn to another person.

As word spread and the Senior Center posted about the acts of generosity on social media, more people started donating, she said. It grew to people making donations to pay for 30 and 60 meals.

Due to the generosity, the Senior Center has been able to provide free meals to some seniors, including those who are low-income or are homeless and living with family during this time, said Riley.

Community members and students also are reaching out to seniors with messages of encouragement. The Senior Center set up a red box outside, where people are dropping off cards with well wishes that the center then sends or delivers with meals to seniors, said Riley.

Fitch High School’s Team 2168 Aluminum Falcons wrote cards to seniors and assembled about two dozen care packages with necessities, such as toilet paper, a toothbrush, toothpaste, and soap, along with crossword, Sudoku and word search books, said Ann Marie Hall, a mentor for the robotics team.

Olsen said she has seen a spark in the eyes of seniors who have been a recipient of the generosity, as they realize there are people who are thinking of others — and might be thinking of them.

“I think it’s a sense of community and that our community is strong, and we are here for one another even though we have to be very socially distant right now,” Olsen said.

Groton Senior Center Program Supervisor Kathy Williams said it’s overwhelming to see the generosity of people helping others and the good that people are doing.

The notes and cards send the message to seniors that “somebody remembered me” and “I matter,” Riley said.

“I know that this is a tough time for all,” one card from a robotics team member read. “I along with everyone on the team am keeping you in our thoughts. Everything will get better as along as we all stay strong and plant a seed of positivity in our minds.”

Deidra Hall, 16, a mentor intern of the team and Ann Marie’s daughter, said the robotics team won the Chairman’s Award at a recent FIRST Robotics Competition, in recognition of the team’s community outreach. The team wanted to continue that spirit of helping those in need in their community, even though the team is not meeting together during this time of social distancing.

Hall said the team wanted to provide for seniors’ physical needs with the care packages and also their emotional needs by sending notes of encouragement and hope to seniors at home.

“We want them to feel like they’re not alone through this entire time, that we’re all here for them,” she said. “We’re all wanting to be a part of their lives and their struggles and just help them through that.”

Groton Senior Center Office Assistant Jennifer Meakem, who came up with the idea to write cards to seniors, said the Senior Center is receiving about five to 10 cards a day. She said everyone who has contacted her after receiving a card has been extremely appreciative.

“The pandemic has truly brought our community together and stronger,” said Meakem. “People are taking care of each other and that is heartwarming.”

Seniors in need of assistance or anyone who knows a senior in need can contact the senior center at (860) 441-6785.

k.drelich@theday.com