A local group of volunteers is encouraging everyone to write cards and send gifts to CK seniors.
The Santa for Seniors campaign is going into its fifth year and hopes to once again connect with those who might feel lonely during the holiday season.
"These past few years have been particularly challenging for so many people in our community," explained co-organizer Dava Robichaud. "Isolation is another challenge, especially for seniors, and we hope to brighten their day with some gifts and cards from every corner of Chatham-Kent."
The campaign was inspired by many other food and gift drives that took place in Chatham-Kent because of COVID-19 and aimed to help a group of people that is often overlooked during the holidays.
According to co-organizer Emmalee Longbottom, the community provided more than 5,800 cards and over 800 gifts for local seniors in 2020.
"The following three years, we collected over 4,225 gifts, and over 13,560 greeting cards," added Longbottom. "With 2,000 seniors living in retirement and nursing homes, and hundreds more living on their own, we'd like each senior to get a greeting card and gift again this year."
Santa for Seniors is looking for items like toiletries, cookies, tea, puzzles, hats, gloves, stationery, and other small gifts that can fit into a gift box.
Boxes can be taken, unwrapped, to TekSavvy in Chatham (800 Richmond Street) or Wallaceburg Community Living (1100 Dufferin Avenue).
"Our team of volunteer elves will take care of the rest," Longbottom stated.
The gifts will all be sanitized before the boxes get wrapped and taken to their recipients. Boxes and cards will be distributed to all retirement and nursing homes, and cards will be included in all Meals on Wheels deliveries in Chatham-Kent.
The group said that Santa himself may even help with some of the deliveries.
Gifts and cards will be accepted until Friday, December 13 and will be delivered in the week before Christmas.