Santa’s workshop has returned to St. Albert’s seniors centre, and local volunteers say they’re glad to be back.
Christmas preparations were in full swing this week at Red Willow Place, with volunteers baking cookies, carving puzzle boards, and crocheting purple hippopotamuses to raise money for the St. Albert Seniors Association.
It’s a sharp contrast to this time last year, when the place was virtually empty — back then, all indoor social gatherings had been banned due to the pandemic.
It has been unusually busy at the seniors centre this year, as many snowbirds have stuck around town instead of heading south, said kitchen and event manager Lila DeBruin.
“It’s really picking up the pace,” she said of the seniors centre, with members saying they’re glad they can once again hang out with their friends.
“People are coming back, which is really nice to see.”
Gifts aplenty
The seniors association knitting crew will have piles of socks, slippers, mittens, bikini-like dishcloths, and duck-shaped baby hoods on hand Dec. 10 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for their final pop-up sale of the month.
Volunteer knitter Julie Hushagen said she and the rest of the crew spent last December knitting at home as they couldn’t meet at the club. This year, they’re back to having their regular Friday meetings and sales.
“Socks have been going quite well,” Hushagen said, as have their baby clothes and crocheted animals. The crew has also added new items to their repertoire this year, including bibs, placemats, stockings, and bowl-holders.
Fellow knitter Henriette Phalempin said it has been a challenge to keep up with demand this season, as they had lost many volunteers to age and COVID concerns. The price of yarn is also up about a dollar per ball (which is a lot, considering a ball typically goes for $3.50), making donated materials all the more important.
“One skein of sock yarn can be as expensive as $60,” she noted.
The woodshop crew has also been busy, DeBruin said. The crew was down to just one person (Henri Leroux) for much of last year, but he has since been reinforced by two helpers.
“Their biggest thing is puzzle boards this time of year,” she said, 50 of which typically come out of the woodshop in any given winter.
“They can’t keep up with orders.”
Chef Lucia Samara was busy in the kitchen, where she and two dedicated volunteers were cooking up hot lunches and curbside orders. Like last year, Samara said she and her crew will be baking dozens of tarts, treats, and squares later this month to distribute in take-home cookie trays, and will spend several days peeling potatoes, cutting vegetables, and roasting turkeys to make about 100 Christmas dinners. Unlike last year, some of those dinners will be served in-house instead of curbside.
While the knitters, woodshop, and kitchen did raise money for the association — the woodshop and knitting crews are on track to bring in about $20,000 this year — DeBruin said they are more important as ways to bring seniors together.
“Zoom’s great, but for older people they like to sit together and have lunch together and have tea together, talk about their projects, and get excited,” DeBruin said.
Phalempin said the knitting crew is always happy when they make a sale as they know the money is for a good cause. It is even better when they can help a customer find what they want.
“It may not be what they intended to get when they came in, but they left very happy.”
Questions on Christmas crafts or dinners at the seniors centre should go to 780-459-0433.
