There will be presents under the tree for several hundred seniors in subsidized housing and long-term-care homes in Paris this Christmas, thanks to a group of local givers.
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Each September, Susan Ritchie begins preparations for the “adopt a grandparent” program, but starting it was “accidental,” she told The Spectator.
Eleven years ago, the Paris resident thought taking gifts to long-term-care homes would be a nice thing to do as a family, while ensuring seniors had some holiday cheer.
“We had grandparents who had gone through the nursing homes and we recognized how…Christmas isn’t exactly the same,” she said.
In that first year, with the help of some generous friends who pitched in, Ritchie’s family delivered gifts to around 50 seniors.
Since then, with the help of the “awesome community,” it has grown into a regular — and much bigger — operation.
This year, 300 volunteers will deliver 360 gifts to seven locations across Paris on Christmas Eve day, including the transitional beds at the Willett Urgent Care Center.
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“It surprises me every year, because I think, ‘oh, gosh, people don’t have money, we’re not going to be able to do this this year,’” yet each year people come forward offering to help, Ritchie said.
It’s at the volunteer’s discretion how much they want to spend to purchase items off wish lists filled in by seniors.
The most requested items this year are gift cards for food, treats, slippers, “and often, very sweetly, a lot of them will ask for things for their pets,” Ritchie said.
The lists also often have notes on them, expressing gratitude.
“It’s just really nice to know that you’re not forgotten, that somebody really cared about you and they want you to have a good Christmas,” Ritchie said.
There are similar programs in other regions, and Ritchie said she’s always open to people reaching out through the Facebook group to ask questions about organizing it.
“This is a valuable program that is worthy of having in every community,” she said, pointing out it doesn’t have to be huge to have an impact.
“It can be 10 gifts that you give to seniors and you make the difference for 10 people. It’s a very rewarding thing, and it’s not difficult to run. You just have to have the heart for it and passion for it to keep it going.”
Celeste Percy-Beauregard is a Local Journalism Initiative Reporter based at the Hamilton Spectator. The initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.
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