A heartwarming gesture to cheer up seniors in Chatham-Kent (CK) around Christmas time is returning this year.
The Santa for Seniors campaign is encouraging everyone to write cards and send gifts to connect with CK seniors once again this festive season.
Organizers said too often the senior population in Chatham-Kent is forgotten during the holiday season and many will be spending the holidays alone.
“These past few years have been particularly challenging for so many people in our community, and there have been lots of great ways to help with these challenges. Isolation continues to be a challenge, especially for seniors, and we hope to brighten their day with some gifts and cards from every corner of Chatham-Kent,” said co-organizer Dava Robichaud.
Robichaud is encouraging individuals and families to write holiday cards and pack gifts for seniors and they will be delivered the week before Christmas.
“Let’s come together again as a community to send out as many cards and gifts to our senior population as we can. If you’d like to contribute, spend some time this weekend with your family and have some fun writing cards and putting together gift boxes,” Robichaud said.
Organizers said this is the sixth year for the initiative.
According to group leaders, Santa for Seniors is a project that was inspired by many other food and gift drives that took place in Chatham-Kent because of COVID.
"In 2020, the community came together to provide over 5,800 greeting cards and a little over 800 gifts for local seniors. The following years, we collected over 5,275 gifts, and over 14,860 greeting cards. 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," said co-organizer Emmalee Longbottom.
Organizers are asking people to put toiletries, cookies, tea, puzzles, hats, gloves, stationery, and other small gifts in boxes.
Boxes and cards can be taken to TekSavvy at 800 Richmond Street in Chatham, and Wallaceburg Community Living at 1100 Dufferin Avenue in Wallaceburg.
The gifts and cards will be accepted until Friday, December 12, 2025 and will be delivered the week of December 18 through December 23, 2025.
Fundraising events are also set to help kick off the season. They get underway with a Trivia Night hosted by Red Barn Brewing Company in Blenheim on Tuesday, November 25 from 6-9 p.m. and a Boston Pizza fundraiser on Thursday, November 27 from 11 a.m.-11 p.m. at the Chatham location.
The public can email santaforseniors@teksavvy.ca for more information on the fundraising events or to support Santa for Seniors.
Click here for Santa for Seniors updates.
