How some British Columbians are making the holidays brighter for seniors in need

For over 40 years, Jaimi Sinclair, 69 has been arranging Christmas gift bags for seniors in care homes who have little or no family or financial support for their basic comforts.

"It's to make them feel that they're cared about, they're loved even if we don't know them in person," she said. "We still want them to know that ... they're special."

Sinclair started the Gifts for Seniors tradition with her colleagues when she worked for the federal government, and they've since assembled thousands of gift bags for seniors in need across the Lower Mainland. She continues to volunteer for the project with her partners, Rachel Fisher and Paige Benda. 

During another pandemic holiday season, the trio are among different groups of British Columbians trying to make the days brighter for seniors in need.

This year the program has distributed 121 gift bags across 11 care homes in the Lower Mainland.

The three volunteers link donors with a wish list created by care home staff and seniors. The wish lists include night gowns, hats, gloves, socks, jackets, treats and toiletries. 

Fisher encourages people to approach a local care home and ask how they could help seniors who would otherwise not receive visitors or gifts.

"It's the seniors that are going to otherwise be forgotten and that have no one ... those are the people we want to help," said Fisher.

A gesture that goes a long way 

One of the care homes involved in the program is the German-Canadian Care Home in Vancouver. The gift bags are a significant gesture of care, says Rosemary Kustner, director of recreation and volunteer services. 

"A lot of these residents have no family. A lot of them have no money," she said. 

"The feeling that they're all alone in this world ... having somebody, especially like a total stranger, just come out of their way to do something special for them is very meaningful."

Kustner says many seniors cannot buy items for themselves, and seeing gifts such as pyjamas, puzzles and chocolate raises their spirits. 

Giving the gift of time

The pandemic has also meant many seniors have remained isolated under lockdowns and restrictions. 

According to Terry Lake, CEO of the B.C. Care Providers Association, it's important to check in on seniors who are neighbours, living alone, or living in care homes.

"If a senior does not have family or friends to be around, it can really make the season very, very tough," he said.

"I think one of the greatest gifts anyone could give is their time to visit with someone that they know doesn't have friends and family ... that you know, could use that cheerful visit around Christmas."

He says planning safe visits, activities or donating to local organizations that support seniors are ways to help.

Supporting seniors province-wide

As Sinclair and her team help seniors in the Lower Mainland, others like London Drugs are supporting seniors in need across care homes in Western Canada.

The drug store chain has finished gathering donations for their sixth-annual Stocking Stuffers for Seniors program.

Customers take a gift tag from in-store Christmas trees that only have a senior's first name at a care home with their wish list items. 

"You're giving this out of the bottom of your heart, because you want to do something special for somebody that you're really probably never going to meet," said David Woogman, who manages the store at Trenant Park Mall in Delta.

During the pandemic, donations have increased to support seniors in care homes, he says. His store received about 400 donations this year to support five different care homes. 

"It tugs on a lot of people's heartstrings. They have memories of their own of seniors in their own families, parents or grandparents," said Woogman.

Last year, 78 stores participating in the program supported over 29,000 seniors across Western Canada.

Woogman says these efforts help lift feelings of isolation and loneliness, especially during another pandemic holiday season.