Hundreds of community members help give a local senior a Christmas to remember

“She did not just get cards. She got a quilt, socks, gloves, toques, personal care stuff like body wash, toothpaste, toothbrushes, and stuffed animals,” Grace expressed. “I was blown away by what she received.”

Grace explains there were roughly over 200 Christmas cards for Vera, filled with extra special messages from community members.

“People didn’t just sign their name, they introduced themselves to her, they told her a little bit about their life, they took time to do that.”

When Vera was given the hundreds of cards and gifts, Grace explains Vera was in disbelief.

“It was so cute because a lot of the gifts were wrapped, she took her time opening them, I don’t think she opened the last one until the 27th of December, she opened a little bit every day.”

The cards and gifts may seem like a small act of kindness to some, but it was something that made the holiday season one that Vera is still talking about, explained Grace.

“This is a compassionate community,” she said.

With the generosity shown by the community this Christmas, Grace asks people to reach out to other seniors.

“When they don’t have family members who bring them little treats, they don’t get a card on their birthday,” she explained.

“When I visit Vera, I ask if she needs anything. She always says no, but I say how about ginger ale? She loves it, so I take her ginger ale and cookies. She loves it because it’s a treat and they can have them in their room, and if you don’t have a loved one, you don’t get those treats, you only get what the lodge provides.”

Grace says even giving one card with a small kind message on it would make a huge difference in the lives of other seniors like Vera.

Vera Murray with cards from community members (Supplied: Grace Murray, Facebook)

by Abby Zieverink

Hundreds of community members help give a local senior a Christmas to remember

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