While Christmas is usually a magical time for children, too often it can mean loneliness for seniors.
"So many people do forget about them at Christmas," says Marilyn Gardner from Amica at Rideau Manor, a Burnaby retirement home. "They feel really isolated and forgotten by society."
For some, loved ones may be out of town, while others just don't have families, Gardner says. They often live in poor health, below the poverty line, and they are alone.
That's why Amica's charitable arm runs a cross-Canada Christmas basket program for less fortunate seniors. In Burnaby, Rideau Manor residents helped package 70 baskets for local seniors; 50 were distributed at the Gadabout Christmas luncheon, 10 were given out by the Burnaby Optimist Club and 10 more through the City of Burnaby.
At the luncheon, one senior who received a basket waved down Gardner.
"She put her hands on her heart and said thank you, and that just got to me. I realized what we were doing was so important," she says.
To donate, go to www.amica.ca, click on About Us and Helping Hands Charity.
