The pandemic has caused interactions with the elderly in long-term care homes to be limited, however Lloydminster and District Co-op is ensuring connections are still being made through their annual holiday gift program.
The organization launched its sixth Spread a Little Love this Christmas campaign to support seniors this holiday season.
Residents can pick up a paper ornament from trees located at any of the Lloydminster gas bars, the Lloydminster Co-op Food Store or the grocery store in Neilburg. Each ornament has a name and a gift request attached and the person will then buy the gift and give it to the participating Co-op stores.
The organization will then quarantine the gifts before giving them to staff at the seniors centres. CEO Leanne Hawes says the gifts will then be given to the specific person during the first or second week of December.
“Now, more than ever, local seniors are counting on our community to show how loved they are, [so] join us as we spread a little love this Christmas.”
About 700 seniors in 14 senior centres in Lloydminster, Lashburn, Maidstone, Marsden and Neilburg will receive a gift this season.
She says they’ve started the program early in order to properly quarantine the gifts so they are safe when they are delivered. Hawes the goal for the campaign is to connect senior citizens with members of the community.
“Many of their gift requests are conservative, I might say. Many of them are under $20 [which] is very affordable for families to be able to pick up and connect. A lot of our gifts in the past have also come back with a personal drawing from a child and our seniors look forward to our gift delivery day to be able to open it up and see it from someone in the community.”
Spread A Little Love This Christmas runs until November 20th. Lloydminster and District Co-op first launched the campaign in 2015 giving out over 500 gifts to seniors in 12 different senior homes.