It’s the busiest time of the year for West Island resident Alana Buist Edwards.
For the last four years, the Kirkland mother has been bringing holiday cheer and smiles to hundreds of seniors in the Greater Montreal area.
Santa to a Senior MTL brings gifts to isolated seniors, through the help and generosity of the community.
This year is Edwards’ biggest year yet, with 3,000 seniors at 34 different residences. She and her elves are busy making sure everyone’s wish is fulfilled.
“We have an abundance of tags that need to be taken, but we also have an online shop this year where people can get a tag, instead of going to one of our 12 locations,” said Edwards.
This year, Edwards has trees in 12 locations, all over the city, including Calzone Pizza, Provigo Kirkland and the National Bank in LaSalle and one in Vaudreuil.
The trees are covered in tags with gift requests from seniors living in residences.
This year is also the first year people can get a tag online, through the Santa to a Senior MTL website.
After you grab a tag, you’ll have to buy the requested gift and drop it off at one of their tree locations.
Edwards will then wrap the gift and deliver it to the residence closer to the holiday season.
“We’re not a registered foundation yet, so we don’t get government funding, we can’t give out tax receipts, so we can’t get the big monetary donations that another foundation or charity would get, so we’re really depending on the community to do it for us,” said Edwards.
This year, Santa to a Senior MTL has garnered the attention of a few big donors, including the wives of the Montreal Canadiens, who have decided to donate bath towels to the initiative.
Edwards also receives monetary donations from Dollarama and Matt Del Vecchio with Lianas Services Senior Transition Support, which helps her buy items such as wrapping paper, boxes and ribbon.
“I’ve worked in residences, I have family with special needs, I have a mother with Alzheimer’s and I know what people in residences go through,” said Edwards. “I’ve seen first-hand how many people come, how many don’t have families, how some live far away.
“So for me, just giving these small gifts — like one woman who asked for a book. For her, when she opens this, the look she’ll get in her eyes, knowing someone got this for her and was thinking of her — that’s what keeps me going.”
Edwards estimates that there are still around 200 tags left, which means 200 gifts left to buy.
The deadline to drop off your gift is Dec. 3.
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