Nursing home residents receive holiday warmth through homemade cards

People from around Nova Scotia penciled out time in their schedule to craft up homemade holiday cards for residents of one of Halifax’s largest nursing homes.

“We had a lot of cards brought in from daycares and elementary schools and guide and scouting groups and so many businesses,” Faye LeBlanc said, the managing director of the Northwood Foundation.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "We had a lot of cards brought in from daycares and elementary schools and guide and scouting groups and so many businesses," Faye LeBlanc said, the managing director of the Northwood Foundation.

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Roughly 5,000 cards flooded through the doors of Northwood, ready to be distributed to residents within the facility by volunteers dressed as elves.

“I’m glad they’re doing it for Northwood people. A lot of them don’t get family coming in and I know that I don’t have no family come in, just friends,” Allister Hiltz said, a Northwood resident.

Hiltz along with dozens of other residents were grinning from ear to ear when they were handed a festive dose of holiday spirit wrapped up in an envelope.

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“The residents love receiving a card because often times they don’t have family come and visit so when they receive a card it reminds them of their days gone by and their memories go way back, way back and they remember getting Christmas cards,” LeBlanc said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "The residents love receiving a card because often times they don't have family come and visit so when they receive a card it reminds them of their days gone by and their memories go way back, way back and they remember getting Christmas cards," LeBlanc said.

WATCH: New Christmas tradition growing across the country 

2:01 There is a new Christmas tradition growing across the country. It’s called a “reverse advent calendar”. The idea is to ‘give’ something each day leading up to Christmas, instead of taking something for yourself.

The annual holiday card campaign is in its fifth year.

“I’m glad that they’re doing it because a lot of people in Northwood need them because they don’t get many family members coming,” Hiltz said.