Student from Bend leads campaign focusing on seniors’ social isolation

School project becomes real billboard, marketing effort

(Update: Adding video, student's comments)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Months of social distancing and isolation for many people has a variety of impacts, but sadly, it's not a new experience for many homebound seniors.

Heather Davenport of Bend took this summer as an opportunity to make social isolation less painful for homebound seniors who have suffered from this reality for years.

The 19-year-old junior at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix is leading the charge on a marketing campaign to bring awareness about seniors who find themselves in this situation all too often.

The communications major created a mock marketing campaign to highlight problems surrounding social isolation for the elderly.

What was initially a school project turned into an actual marketing campaign with the Council on Aging of Central Oregon.

"I realized there was an opportunity to draw the connection between social isolation from the pandemic and social isolation that has caused seniors problems for years," Davenport said. "So that's where the graphic I made came into play, and ultimately made its way onto the billboard." 

The billboard reading "Imagine Social Distancing -- All. The. Time." can be seen on Olney Avenue in northeast Bend.

Davenport said she showed her grandparents, Jean and Don Nachtwey, her Instagram design for the mock campaign.

The couple liked it so much that they took it to the Council on Aging of Central Oregon, which also runs the Meals on Wheels program.

The message instantly resonated with the current pandemic situation, while also bringing awareness to the plight of socially isolated seniors.

Davenport said it only takes a distanced coffee date, a phone call, a knock at the door, or reaching out in any form to improve the health and life of a senior.