A Holiday Idea

[WitchAndShaman]

Thanks for finding and posting this important thought Debi. There are literally hundreds of ways to help those in physical, financial, emotional, or morale need. I’d like to share one way my military family has helped in the past with the hope that it might spur ideas with others.

On several Thanksgivings and Christmases my Mom reached out to local military bases to invite service people to our family dinner. There are often local military troop who don’t have close ties to their own families but don’t want to be alone or who can’t get to their own family because of travel restrictions or duty assignments. We have at times had 10 people squeezed into a 100 square foot room to eat dinner or watch holiday football games.

Each time it was a too short treasured time with new friends. Lots of shared stories and memories. Lots of effort to put on but a rather incrementally inexpensive way to warm several hearts.

 

[Debi]

Thanks for finding and posting this important thought Debi. There are literally hundreds of ways to help those in physical, financial, emotional, or morale need. I’d like to share one way my military family has helped in the past with the hope that it might spur ideas with others.

On several Thanksgivings and Christmases my Mom reached out to local military bases to invite service people to our family dinner. There are often local military troop who don’t have close ties to their own families but don’t want to be alone or who can’t get to their own family because of travel restrictions or duty assignments. We have at times had 10 people squeezed into a 100 square foot room to eat dinner or watch holiday football games.

Each time it was a too short treasured time with new friends. Lots of shared stories and memories. Lots of effort to put on but a rather incrementally inexpensive way to warm several hearts.

This is a wonderful idea, Wands. I've done something similar in the past with the elderly who don't have family close by and who otherwise might be alone at Christmas or other holidays. In fact, I think your post is so important, I am goingt to give it a thread of it's own in Owl's Nest.

 

[Debi]

This was the original post

 

[WitchAndShaman]

Oh, something that a past coworker of mine has done for several years which I love is, collect donations of:
A. Pens.
B. Postage stamps.
C. Left over Christmas cards - the few excess cards one might have from a ten or twelve card boxed set.

She pairs a pen with several cards (5-10 cards depending on the volume of donations) and an equal number of stamps and places each set into a holiday themed ziplock bag. She gives these card kits to retirement and nursing homes so that elderly patrons can be certain to have a way to communicate their messages of love to family and friends.

I love this gesture exactly the way she does it. But I still have one tiny twist to add too.

I always keep blank “Thank You” cards - right now I have three different partially depleted boxes of same in my desk drawer. I’d like to suggest adding a few of those into the same card kits because often times someone will want to offer up more than just a verbal thank you...sometime people aren’t comfortable even sharing a sincere thanks aloud. I suspect that persons in a retirement home might have several people they want to thank for their care and service; in fact, these cards would be useful even beyond the holidays.

This would probably be a great thing to collect for not only in an office setting but also within a book club, a bowling league, a Bunco or knitting circle, etc.

 

[jadamz]

Thanks for finding and posting this important thought Debi. There are literally hundreds of ways to help those in physical, financial, emotional, or morale need. I’d like to share one way my military family has helped in the past with the hope that it might spur ideas with others.

On several Thanksgivings and Christmases my Mom reached out to local military bases to invite service people to our family dinner. There are often local military troop who don’t have close ties to their own families but don’t want to be alone or who can’t get to their own family because of travel restrictions or duty assignments. We have at times had 10 people squeezed into a 100 square foot room to eat dinner or watch holiday football games.

Each time it was a too short treasured time with new friends. Lots of shared stories and memories. Lots of effort to put on but a rather incrementally inexpensive way to warm several hearts.

Thank you posting Deb and adding to it wanDz

 

[Debi]

Oh, something that a past coworker of mine has done for several years which I love is, collect donations of:
A. Pens.
B. Postage stamps.
C. Left over Christmas cards - the few excess cards one might have from a ten or twelve card boxed set.

She pairs a pen with several cards (5-10 cards depending on the volume of donations) and an equal number of stamps and places each set into a holiday themed ziplock bag. She gives these card kits to retirement and nursing homes so that elderly patrons can be certain to have a way to communicate their messages of love to family and friends.

I love this gesture exactly the way she does it. But I still have one tiny twist to add too.

I always keep blank “Thank You” cards - right now I have three different partially depleted boxes of same in my desk drawer. I’d like to suggest adding a few of those into the same card kits because often times someone will want to offer up more than just a verbal thank you...sometime people aren’t comfortable even sharing a sincere thanks aloud. I suspect that persons in a retirement home might have several people they want to thank for their care and service; in fact, these cards would be useful even beyond the holidays.

This would probably be a great thing to collect for not only in an office setting but also within a book club, a bowling league, a Bunco or knitting circle, etc.

As a former nursing home Certified Activity Director for a few years, let me agree with this and add to it. Each nursing home has an Activity Dept. with a small budget and big needs. Used jewelry for bingo prizes, packaged individual food items like chips or muffins, or better yet, call the facility and ask to speak to the Activity Dept. and find out their specific needs. Church groups to visit, scout groups to visit, people to provide music always desperately needed. And that rare individual who is willing to give one hour a week to read to those who no longer can....bring it on.

Nursing homes are always glad to see you at the holidays, but come January, eveyone vanishes. You will always have some sort of skill to share with them, even if it's simply sitting and talking with someone who has no one to visit them. Adopt a grandparent. Volunteer your time..and heart. As I used to tell all visitors...look at them closely. Now, remember...they were once just like you. They were children once with hopes and dreams, they had families, they had lives. Now they are here and many are alone. See yourself in their eyes. It's the reason I worked geriatrics. They have wisdom to give, if you have the time to share.

 

[jadamz]

As a former nursing home Certified Activity Director for a few years, let me agree with this and add to it. Each nursing home has an Activity Dept. with a small budget and big needs. Used jewelry for bingo prizes, packaged individual food items like chips or muffins, or better yet, call the facility and ask to speak to the Activity Dept. and find out their specific needs. Church groups to visit, scout groups to visit, people to provide music always desperately needed. And that rare individual who is willing to give one hour a week to read to those who no longer can....bring it on.

Nursing homes are always glad to see you at the holidays, but come January, eveyone vanishes. You will always have some sort of skill to share with them, even if it's simply sitting and talking with someone who has no one to visit them. Adopt a grandparent. Volunteer your time..and heart. As I used to tell all visitors...look at them closely. Now, remember...they were once just like you. They were children once with hopes and dreams, they had families, they had lives. Now they are here and many are alone. See yourself in their eyes. It's the reason I worked geriatrics. They have wisdom to give, if you have the time to share.

Debi...beautifully said

 

[Paintman]

WandS plays bunco!

 

[Debi]

WandS plays bunco!

He'd fit right into the neighborhood! lol

 

[Paintman]

I'm The Keeper of the family bunco table. It folds open like a book and rotates.
My little old Swedish relatives have been playing on this for 100 years. Absolute cut throats. The zebra is the mascot from my Godfather's nightclub- The Zebra Lounge