Organization looks out for seniors this Christmas
One woman is getting her wish of seeing seniors’ wishes come true this Christmas.
Stayner resident Ashley Kelly has launched a Clearview branch of Senior Wish Foundation, which does many things to ensure that lonely seniors aren’t overlooked, especially at Christmas.
As a volunteer for the Barrie home branch of Senior Wish Foundation, Kelly experienced the joy of giving a gift to a stranger, someone who otherwise may not have a present to open on Christmas morning.
The foundation’s Christmas program takes the names of seniors who are isolated and matches them with people who are willing and able to buy them a gift. Last year, Kelly bought for two women, neighbours who would get together for meals and companionship. With their wish list in hand, Kelly went out and filled two big bags of presents. Being a volunteer, she was able to deliver the gifts herself and said the experience almost moved her to tears, because of the women’s appreciation and gratitude.
“It’s a powerful feeling,” said Kelly. “It’s a great feeling.”
“Seniors paved the way for the next generation so it’s nice to give something back,” she said.
Kelly is now accepting names of seniors who may like to be included in the program. She then calls them all to find out what they would like for Christmas, their preferences, and clothing sizes.
She then works to create a list of people who would like to purchase gifts for seniors and matches them. There is no set requirement for spending. The shopper just has to bring the gift to a specific drop-off location on Friday, Dec. 14. The next day, on Saturday, Dec. 15 is wrapping day and everyone is invited to First Baptist Church to make Christmas cards and wrap presents between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Finally, in the last weeks before Christmas, Kelly and a team of 17 Clearview volunteers will deliver the gifts.
“We hope they wait until Christmas morning to open them,” she says with a smile.
Senior Wish Foundation started up in 2011 because founder Barb Richards saw a real need for seniors outreach. As an auctioneer and appraiser, Richards often visited older people in their homes and found a large number were living in isolation. That first year, there were 100 recipients in the Barrie area but the organization has grown and spread to other communities and in 2017, there were more than 2,400 recipients.
So far, there are 71 seniors on the Clearview list, confirming Kelly’s theory that the program is needed in this community.
If you know a senior who would benefit from this program, please submit the recipient’s name by Dec. 1 to the Clearview branch’s lead coordinator Ashley Kelly at 705-817-1581 or seniorwishclearview@gmail.com.
There are many other ways to support Senior Wish Foundation. Look for purple donation boxes at Creemore Village Pharmacy, and several locations in Stayner, including Home Hardware, Pharmasave and Coffee Culture. Posted on the boxes are a list of donation suggestions, such as slippers and chocolates.
Kelly said because the Clearview branch is new, they are starting with the Christmas gift program but they intend to bring other Senior Wish Foundation programs to the area in the New Year. They include Wish Granting – volunteers help facilitate an experience like going to a baseball game or visiting a relative in another community; Intergenerational skill sharing – where youth and seniors teach each other skills, for example computer lessons in exchange for knitting lessons; Friendly visiting – when a volunteer signs up for regular social calls; and Adopt-a-senior – which matches seniors with families for long-term relationships; and Seniors Helping Seniors – matches volunteers and seniors for crafts or other shared interests.
For more information about Senior Wish Association, including volunteer opportunities, contact Ashley Kelly, or visit www.aseniorwish.com.
