Volunteer Driver Preserves Art of Letter Writing

Volunteer Transportation drivers often employ a myriad of technological tools to keep themselves occupied as they patiently wait for seniors during medical appointments.  Many use ipads , Kindles, smart phones, or laptops to pass the time in waiting rooms throughout King County.  But Shari Hanbey, who has been a volunteer driver for six years, doesn’t require any modern devices for downtime during the rides she provides for local seniors.  All she needs is a pen and paper.  

Shari is devoted to the art of letter writing, and that is an understatement.   She typically sends out over 20-25 letters per month to people in places throughout the USA and world.  Her husband’s role in the military meant that they lived in 16+ locations (both domestic and overseas) during his 27 years of active duty, and Shari keeps all friendships alive with handwritten messages.  Each one averages to be about two pages of updates and news—both good and bad.   She admits that her letters aren’t works of art, but they are full of love.

Shari values connections and knows that getting a letter in the mail is more special than receiving an email, a text message, or a Facebook post.  She notes all anniversaries and birthdays on her perpetual calendar and makes sure to compose a given message about 6 days ahead of time.  Her dedication to letter writing was so strong that she was even asked to send all correspondences for her women’s group.   As if this weren’t enough to keep her busy, she also sends out thank you notes for all good deeds and has 170 families on her Christmas card list.  She works hard to stay in touch with people who’ve been a part of her life. 

Shari has received support in her letter writing efforts.  One friend, a self-proclaimed garage sale addict, recently spent an entire year buying any letterhead or stationery she could find.  She gave Shari a huge collection of it for Christmas, and they joked about how long it would take her to go through it all.  Shari reports that it is almost gone.  

Whether she is kindly escorting a senior into a clinic or carefully choosing the right words to wish a friend a happy birthday, Shari is thoughtful in all that she does.  Serving as a volunteer driver allows her to combine several important acts: serving others, building relationships, and letting people know how much she cares.  Shari Hanbey does all three as she volunteers— both in person and on paper.

Whomever you are and whatever holidays you celebrate, we at Senior Services' Transportation Program wish you this same uplifting good cheer-- now and always!