It’s an effort to bring a bit of extra cheer to seniors during the holiday season.
The Operation Friendship Seniors Society’s (OFSS) 10th annual Stocking Stuffers for Seniors program is back.
“Last year, we were able to help over 5,000 seniors in the Edmonton and surrounding area get a gift at Christmas time,” said Jimmy Morrison, the community relations manager for OFSS.
“Seniors that are isolated in our community, that maybe don’t have family supports, that maybe suffer from mental health issues.”
Seniors fill out wish list tags, which are then made available on Christmas trees inside London Drugs stores across the region.
Shoppers can grab a tag, buy the items, and then bring the new, non-gift-wrapped items (along with the gift tag) to the store’s customer service counter by Dec. 8.
“One lady, one year, asked for a friend,” Morrison said.
He added most seniors don’t ask for extravagant things — in fact, new slippers are often one of the most-requested gifts.
“It just it breaks your heart that these are simple, basic wishes that we maybe take for granted in our day to day life.”
The program started with the hope of helping 40 seniors living at inner-city facilities run by Operation Friendship Seniors’ Society.
It has grown tremendously: in 2017, Stocking Stuffers for Seniors expanded beyond Edmonton to all London Drugs stores in Canada, providing gifts for tens of thousands of seniors.
For more, watch the video above.
— With files from Karen Bartko, Global News