Senior center returning Christmas favor for seniors
Supporting local senior citizens and making sure they feel loved and appreciated is a big part of Share-A-Christmas’ outreach. SAC joins Darb Snyder Holmes County Senior Center in making sure seniors are provided with meals and gifts during the Share-A-Christmas season.
There is always something special about bundling up the family and heading off to Grandma and Grandpa’s house to celebrate the holidays. Whether it was the aroma of turkey basting in the oven or Grandma’s apple pie cooling on the counter, the Christmas tree lit with presents underneath, or those gigantic snowflakes that created a winter wonderland, many people have fond memories of going to their grandparents for the holidays.
The Darb Snyder Holmes County Senior Center is set to return the favor to grandmas and grandpas around Holmes County this holiday season.
As part of Holmes County Share-A-Christmas’ annual effort to spread holiday cheer to families around the county, SAC leaders didn’t forget about reaching out to the area seniors. With the two organizations working together, the senior center spearheads the effort to reach out to more than 100 senior citizens to provide them with food, a Walmart gift card and some old-fashioned holiday cheer.
Senior center director Georgie Cool has been delivering Share-A-Christmas gift packages to area seniors for 15 years now, and she said it is always a treat to be a part of something this special.
“We always look forward to this because my whole family gets involved with delivering the gifts, and I know the seniors love it because they talk about it and always look forward to it,” Cool said. “It’s a neat way to share Christmas joy with our seniors. Not only do they get the food and gift card, it’s also about the interaction and letting them know we care about them and their well-being.”
As of late November, Cool said they had 98 households and 121 applicants who signed up to receive the gift package, which includes canned turkey, canned beef and other food items to make a couple of meals, as well as a $50 gift card to Walmart.
According to Cool, Share-A-Christmas sets aside funds for this project and purchases the gift cards and much of the food.
She and her two daughters, Pat Poling and Pam Akins, and their families then distribute some of the gift packages while others can pick up their packages at the senior center located on Glen Drive in Millersburg.
Cool said there are two large hubs of senior citizens living in Millersburg to whom she and her family will deliver on Saturday, Dec. 11. For participants not in those two areas, they can drive to the senior center on Dec. 14 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. to pick up their gifts.
“I love the interaction part of this event,” Cool said. “It’s always fun to get a wonderful gift for Christmas, and our seniors are always so thankful and grateful.”
She said some seniors feel like these gifts should be given to other area families in need but said they shouldn’t feel that way because Share-A-Christmas has funds set aside specifically for this part of their giving season. She said if there are seniors out there who would like to receive a delivery through Share-A-Christmas, they may still do so by calling the senior center at 330-674-0580.
“We will definitely make sure they are taken care of, should any seniors come in between now and our delivery or even a little after,” Cool said.
Grandma and Grandpa took care of kids, grandkids and great-grandchildren for many years, and this event is one way in thanking them for that care and love and shows them the gratitude they deserve.