As coronavirus shutdowns and stay-at-home orders continue, families are finding it harder and harder to stay busy. You’ve spent days doing jigsaw puzzles and playing games. You’ve baked and filled the freezer with bread, cookies, rolls, and more. You need something new to do.

April happens to be National Poetry Month. There are organizations out there that are hosting poetry writing contests. Now is a great time to team up with your dad, come up with a poem, and see if you can win some cash.

Before You Start

Before you write a poem together, it can help to read modern and past poetry to get a sense of what’s topics have saturated the market. You might see that poems where the lines rhyme is no longer appealing. Read the poems published by the organization to see what they look for.

Read the rules completely. You may have to send the poem as an attachment to one organization. Another organization may want you to submit it via an online entry form. Some contests are free, but others charge a small entry fee or want you to become a subscriber. You’ll avoid having your entry returned if you read and understand the rules and obligations.

Some of the Current Poetry Contests

The Willie Morris Award is awarded to a poetry writer who stands out among the competition. The winner gets a $2,500 cash prize. Poems must be about life in the South, no longer than three pages, and formatted with inch margins and a 12 point font that’s easy to read. There’s no entry fee. The deadline for entries is May 1st. Learn more at williemorrisawards.org/poetry.

Come up with a poem about your experiences during the pandemic for the free “Poetry in the Time of Coronavirus” contest. The winning poems go into an anthology where proceeds go to organizations that are helping battle COVID-19. The top award is $100 and entries must be received by May 1st. Visit pittoc.com to learn more.

A poem about traveling could land you and your dad a $1,000 cash prize in the NowhereMag.com poetry contest. This poetry-writing contest has a $20 entry fee and runs twice a year. There is no requirement for the lengths of poems. You can also choose to write an essay that’s 800 to 5,000 words long. Submit your entry online by the July 16th deadline.

What if you can’t get to your dad’s house during the pandemic? If travel restrictions or stay-at-home orders are keeping you from getting to him, you need to make sure he’s not alone and struggling with daily chores. Home care aides do that for him.

Home care services include help with housework, laundry services, meal preparation, companionship, and many other options. If it helps your dad live safely while he’s aging at home, it’s an option. Call a home care agency to arrange caregivers for him.

If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring a Caregiver in Lafayette, CA, call the caring staff at Aviva In-Home Care.
Call today: (415) 795-2203

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Evan Loevner

CEO at Aviva In-Home Care

As a former hospital administrator, I launched Aviva with the goal of having a more focused, direct impact on the delivery of care than I could ever accomplish within a hospital setting. For me, the joy of running an organization like Aviva In-Home Care is having the ability to positively improve the lives of individuals needing customized care. As a passionate Bay Area resident, I know that many local seniors can benefit from new approaches to in-home care, that will bring them more connection to the community, and provide families with a greater sense of comfort that their loved one is indeed matched with an ideal caregiver.

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