The staff at Valley Senior Services would like to say THANK YOU for helping make the Secret Santa for Seniors Program a huge success this year. With the help of our community, over 200 seniors in Cass County received a gift this holiday season.
Valley Senior Services delivered gifts to seniors who needed a little extra holiday cheer this season. Over $600 worth of gift cards and $100 for Metro Senior Ride tickets were also donated by community members to share with the seniors. Out of those 200 seniors who took part in this program, almost 95% also receive Meals on Wheels. These seniors may be celebrating the holidays alone or are unable to travel to see family due to their health.
Some of the wish list items asked for were basic needs; winter hats and gloves, soft blankets, socks, slippers, toiletries and grocery gift cards. A few seniors did request items from their favorite sports team (Bison and Vikings).
Here are some highlights from our seniors:
- “Rose” cried when she received her gift and said this was the first Christmas gift she received in 20 years.
- Not having the best housing situation, “Carl” was humbled to receive a brand new bed this year.
- “Bill” was thrilled to get a Christmas gift for himself and his dog. He states the only family he has is his dog and he wanted to make sure his dog was included.
The recipients are still overwhelmed with joy. Many have called and said, “Thank you, it just feels good to have a present under the tree”.
The core values of passion, sincerity, intentional leadership and solution engineering were all at play to make this year’s Secret Santa for Seniors a success! Whether you purchased or helped distribute gifts, we at Valley Senior Services cannot thank you enough for helping bring smiles to over 200 seniors this Christmas season.
For those looking for additional volunteer opportunities, consider devoting your time to the Meals On Wheels program through Valley Senior Services. Volunteers are always needed. For more information, contact Valley Senior Services at 701-293-1440 or visit ValleySeniorServices.org.
