INNISFAIL – The angels of the holiday season worked extra hard last week for every one of the 99 resident seniors at Sunset Manor and Innisfail Country Manor.
But with Christmas just around the corner a miracle was urgently in order.
“I couldn't believe the numbers on Facebook as I was watching them,” said Lisa Larson, recreation coordinator for both seniors’ facilities. “And when she posted this morning, I was just blown. I couldn't even believe it. There are some little angels out there working hard.”
On Dec. 15 at 9:54 a.m. Cristy Betts, a volunteer social media specialist for the non-profit Communities of Alberta Networking for Seniors Association (CAN), posted an urgent message on the Innisfail Bulletin Facebook page that the agency’s annual Senior Wish List program was 75 gifts short of its goal for the 30 men and 69 women residing at the two seniors’ residences.
“We were panicking. Last year we had the same problem. It was just very hard,” said Cheryl DeMaere-Ellis, a former eight-year Innisfailian who now resides in Alberta Beach, and is CAN’s southern manager and treasurer.
“I was like, ‘OK, we can't just not let this home go without gifts when you know we've committed to it; so, we all started in and started posting. And Cristy is a really great social media person.
“She just posted it out there and it (message) joined other areas of social media,” she added. “While I was delivering in Cochrane my phone just did not stop beeping, which was amazing. I was like, ‘OK, let's see what's going on when I get home. And I was like, ‘oh my goodness.”
DeMaere-Ellis found out every one of the 75 gifts needed for the seniors at Sunset Manor and Innisfail Country Manor had been secured.
Innisfailians, or Larson’s angels, had come through.
“I had three people donate large amounts of money to buy gifts. We were able to buy 23 gifts with money, and they will be delivered today. I then had all the rest spoken for by the lovely residents of Innisfail,” said DeMaere-Ellis.
“One person took 12, another person took 10, and as of last night when I went to bed all the gifts were spoken for.”
That made a total of 99 senior citizens in Innisfail who will have a smile on their face on Christmas Day thanks to CAN and the generosity of the community.
“My heart was filled with so much joy because I knew the seniors at Sunset Manor and Country Manor we're going to have Christmas. It’s so important because some of them have families who live in other provinces. Some of them may not have family anymore. And they're alone,” said DeMaere-Ellis. “It's just so important to make sure that there's something there for the seniors.”
All gift packages for the 99 seniors of Sunset Manor and Innisfail Country Manor were expected to arrive yesterday (Dec. 19).
These packages are also expected to contain such gifts as Christmas chocolates, lap blankets, adult colouring books, hand and body lotions and more.
Larson said seniors will be opening them on Dec. 23.
“They're (CAN) amazing. I can't even begin to explain how amazing they are. It's so helpful,” said Larson. “This will sure bring joy to our residents when we pass out all those gifts.”
This is CAN’s second year of gift magic for Sunset Manor and Innisfail Country Manor residents. Last year the six-year-old agency, which has a mandate to help seniors in need at all times of the year, also supported residents at Rosefield Centre during the holiday season.
Much of their work, including its Christmas time projects for seniors, is community driven, and powered by social media.
“It's not just at Christmas time. We do emergency relief. If a senior needed a hospital bed, we do a raffle. If they run out of propane, we do a raffle and get them propane. If they run out of groceries before their pension comes in, we (help) if they contact us,” said DeMaere-Ellis. “We do whatever we can to make it easier for our seniors.
“We really utilize our communities to help the seniors. It's not really us taking care of the seniors. It's the people in the communities that are actually taking care of it. We just put it out there (social media) and guide them along.”
For more information on CAN visit its Facebook page at Annual Seniors Wish List Program.
