TISDALE 鈥� A local effort is making sure Tisdale seniors don鈥檛 go without gifts this holiday season.
That鈥檚 why a group of Tisdale residents are asking for donations of gifts for a Secret Santa.
This is the fourth year that Courtenay Schapansky-Bondarchuk has organized the effort. She came up with the idea when she was laid up after a surgery and was thinking about Christmas, as her family are big fans of the holiday.
鈥淲e like to have a big Christmases and lots of presents, so I just got to thinking,鈥� she said, 鈥渉ow a lot of people in senior homes used to love big family Christmases too and now for whatever reason being age or distance or their families are no longer around, their Christmases are grey.鈥�
So she decided to organize the Secret Santa. The first year of the effort, arranged in just 11 days, saw 230 gifts donated. Last year, they gathered more than 300.
Suggestions for gifts include include treats (including diabetic ones), puzzles, calendars, body wash, toiletry sets, lotions, tea, magazines, heating pads, teddies and dolls, Christmas ornaments, winter wear, diabetic socks and slippers with grips on the bottom. They are also asking for lots of gift bags, as they鈥檝e run out in previous years.
Schapansky-Bondarchuk said on Facebook the donations will be needed to be delivered at the drop-off point at Northeast Appliance Plus by Dec. 17, but added the sooner the they receive the gifts, the better.
The group calls ahead the local seniors鈥� complexes and nursing homes to find out how many people are in the homes to determine the proper amount of presents. They are greatly assisted by the Tisdale Housing Authority.
鈥淭hey are instrumental in the deliveries, they know the people that live there and they鈥檙e really able to help us with the deliveries so people aren鈥檛 scared, right? Because you don鈥檛 want a bunch of strangers knocking on their door in this day and age,鈥澛燬chapansky-Bondarchuk said.
When the gifts are delivered, many of the seniors are thankful, often giving hugs and invitations to join them for some tea.
