Advocacy Groups Emphasize Importance of Supporting Calgary Seniors During the Holidays – Calgary | The Canadian News

Around 125 seniors in Calgary will have something special to look forward to this holiday season, thanks to the work of Alice Lam and a group of volunteers.

Over the weekend, Lam and eight other people gathered at the Good Neighbor Community Market to create gift bags that will be distributed to low-income seniors.

“This is just a small gesture, very superficial,” says Lam, co-founder of Good Neighbor. “But it’s something we can do as volunteers to hopefully encourage people who have no one else.”

Lam says the gift bags, containing a handwritten card, gloves, hand warmers and chocolates, will be delivered next weekend to Calgar’s seniors living in subsidized housing.

Advocacy groups for older people say that while showing care and support is a significant initiative throughout the year, it is especially important during the holidays and during the long, cold winter months.

MP Fortin, an aging specialist at Ohana Care, says that including older people in Christmas traditions can go a long way.

“It can be something as simple as welcoming them into your home while you build your own Christmas tree or have fun in the afternoon,” says Fortin.

CanAge CEO Laura Tamblyn Watts says some seniors may need a helping hand to deal with the dangers that come with winter.

“We have to think about the fact that it is dark, cold and slippery,” says Tamblyn Watts. “People isolate themselves because they can’t walk down the street or they can’t clean the entrance to their house.”

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Tamblyn Watts says that when it comes to gifts, they don’t always need to be wrapped. Sometimes it can be a matter of showing a certain Christmas spirit.

“One of the best things your community can do is start singing Christmas carols in the streets,” he says.

“It is an opportunity to connect with older people. All they have to do is open the door and listen to your joy and your song. “