A popular holiday campaign is spreading its cheer to St. Albert.
After receiving overwhelming support in its inaugural year, the London Drugs Santa for Seniors donation drive is expanding to St. Albert and Sherwood Park.
“There is a great need in the capital region to support seniors. They’re often forgotten or don’t have friends or family at the holiday season,” said Natalie Harper, public relations manager for London Drugs.
The program began last year with the goal of helping 40 inner city seniors, but a flood of donations enabled organizers to give gifts to all 350 residents at Operation Friendship – a non-profit society that provides social services and affordable housing options to seniors in downtown Edmonton – and another 150 gifts for use at their drop-in centre.
“We started small then the demand just grew like crazy,” said Harper. “It was really was at the request of our customers who wanted to support seniors in all areas of the capital region that we are expanding it.”
Donations can now be made at all Edmonton, Sherwood Park and St. Albert London Drugs locations.
Santa for Seniors is the only formal holiday campaign for seniors in the capital region. This year the program aims to provide meaningful and useful gifts to approximately 2,000 seniors, including those residing at the Youville Home in St. Albert.
“We are so excited Youville Home is included in the 2016 Santa for Seniors donation drive,” said Laura Ruddock, senior manager of communications, Covenant Foundation. “It’s such a wonderful program, and it’s going to bring the residents of the Youville Home so much joy this holiday season.”
Anonymous Santas can pick up a tag with a personalized wish list from the Santa for Seniors tree at the London Drugs in the St. Albert Centre. After fulfilling the wish list, participants are asked to drop the unwrapped item at the same location where they picked up the tag.
All items donated to the St. Albert location go to the Youville Home specifically. Gifts will be delivered by volunteers on Dec. 15.
