LEXINGTON, Ky. — A non-profit in Lexington has partnered up with several long-term care facilities around central Kentucky to make sure residents are able to enjoy the gifts of Christmas.
What You Need To Know
- Senior Sleigh works with long-term care facilities to get gifts for seniors in Central Kentucky
- The non-profit started around eight years ago
- Rector Hayden Realtors in Georgetown and Lexington have trees full of senior wish lists
- Gifts will be accepted through Dec. 11
Missy Ward started Senior Sleigh around eight years ago, hoping to bring some holiday cheer to the residents in senior centers.
Tags are available in the offices of Rector Hayden Realtors in both Georgetown and Lexington, hanging on a lit Christmas tree. Each tag contains a list with three items each resident would like to receive as their gift. Some of the items include nail polish, watches, Christmas sweaters and fuzzy socks.
“Senior Sleigh is just a vision that I had several years ago about seniors that were alone during the holidays. And I talked to some people, and found out what they really wanted and there were things like red lipstick, good smelling lotion, a baby doll, a book of birds, just all kinds of simple things being compression socks, things that we just don't even think about purchasing,” Ward said.
Ward said this year has been extremely hard for everyone, especially for seniors in nursing homes who were unable to have visitors throughout the year.
“They don't get a lot of visitors, sometimes the family lives across the country. And so, they aren't going to come here for Christmas. You know, it's hard enough year round but I think being alone at the holidays when they were somebody's mom and dad and they used to do all these things and decorate it just felt like they were a forgotten populationr,” Ward said.
As an activities director at one of the senior centers, Annette Dence said seeing the residents receive their gifts has been heart warming and with COVID-19, these gifts will have a bigger meaning than previous years.
“I think receiving the gifts is going to be extra special. Because of the COVID[-19], and the isolation and non-visitors so it's going to be very very very special so we really appreciate those gifts and we are blessed that we're blessed to receive those,” Dence said.
The Senior Sleigh organization will continue collecting gifts until Friday, Dec. 11th. Asking that all gifts are wrapped and delivered to one of the two Rector Hayden Offices in either Lexington or Georgetown.