Christmas is a special time for everyone and thanks to a grassroots group of volunteers in the lakecity, the residents of Deni House get to enjoy the holiday like everyone else.
Deni House is located adjacent to the Cariboo Memorial Hospital and offers residential care for seniors both permanently and temporarily after medical care. While well-looked after, these elders were often lonely at Christmas, until the Deni House Secret Santa was started.
Brenda Thompson and Lucy Morton are some of the founding and ringleaders of the Secret Santa. Thompson’s own late mother was a resident of Deni House for many years and gave her the inspiration to start the project.
“I saw it in the paper, or read it online, that some ladies were doing a gift basket for Retirement Concepts and I thought, well, instead of one basket for one person let’s see if we can do gift bags for everyone in Deni House, so that’s what we’re trying to do,” Thompson explained.
Morton said that Thompson started out with two gift bags four years ago that she split into four and distributed to the seniors. Over the next few years, it only grew, until the passing of Thompson’s mother last October.
Thompson said that, at the time, returning to Deni House was painful and brought up to many memories of her mother. However, Morton encouraged her to go through with it as they already had 20 gift bags prepared and that it would be a nice way to honour Thompson’s mother.
“My daughter is also a big inspiration for me. These people paved the way for us, so it’s important that she learns to give back,” Morton said.
“I encourage her to do this and I think it’s a great opportunity.”
It’s important to get younger people engaged in this work Thompson agreed, as she pragmatically observed none of us is getting any younger.
“It’s a good way to show the seniors somebody cares. It’s really sad when you walk in there, there are people there who don’t have anybody or the only Christmas gift they would get was from staff members in Deni House, none from family members and that’s sad,” Thompson said.
“By the time they pay for their rooms with their pensions, a lot of them don’t have any money left and they still got to get the basics like their toothbrush and stuff like that so we thought let’s do the basics.”
Each Secret Santa gift bag they put together is filled with the basics from socks, toiletries and spending money for them to go out and enjoy their day if they’re able.
Thompson said that they ask for these general donations to avoid people agonizing over whether or not the recipient will like it.
For this year, the Secret Santa is still in need of items for their gift bags. Earbuds and headphones for MP3 players are what Thompson is looking for specifically right now, as well as pyjamas, ball caps, board games and various other items to make their lives easier.
The goal this year is to fill 25 gift bags for Deni House residents, though, Thompson said, if they can they plan to fill 28 for all 28 beds the care home provides.
For next year she’s looking at filling 30 to 35 as their goal is always to cover any extra people that may be admitted before Christmas.
“We always try to find the one special gift (for each resident),” Morton added.
Seeing the looks on the residents’ faces, incognito to keep the secret, is incredibly rewarding for everyone involved both Morton and Thompson agree.
Thompson said that the residents are like kids again on Christmas Day all smiles and energy.
Those who wish to learn more about supporting the Secret Santa can do so by contacting Thompson at 250-267-5611 or 778-412-5611 and said that her other volunteers are willing to do pickups.
They will be accepting donations for up to a week before Christmas and are also taking cash donations this year to spend on both gifts and equipment for Deni House.
Read More: Contracts awarded for the planning of hospital redevelopment and sacred space at Deni House
patrick.davies@wltribune.com
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