Local students have made the season bright for seniors spending the holidays in Orillia long-term care facilities.
Students from Notre Dame Catholic School, Uptergrove Public School and Marchmont Public School created and sent 'cheer cards' to residents of Spencer House and Oak Terrace Long-Term Care in Orillia.
Yvonne Bromley, a communications convener for the Orillia branch of the Retired Women Teachers of Ontario (RWTO), which spearheaded the initiative, says seniors were delighted to receive the cards recently.
"This is something that's important to do at any time throughout the year," she said. "It's important to communicate the children to the seniors."
Typically, seniors enjoy reading letters from children and learning about what they are doing in their classrooms.
"There are many senior residents who don't have a family now. We just thought that it would be nice for them to have some sort of personal connection, especially during the holidays," Bromley said.
The seniors who have received the cards have expressed their gratitude for the holiday cheer.
"We had 160 recipients at Spencer House and 74 at Oak Terrace," Bromley said. "They were very thankful."
Additional cards were made for residents who will not be in contact with family over the holidays.
"We also had some extra cards made for those who are feeling sad this holiday season," Bromley said. "We hope it will bring some smiles to those in need."
Some of the students who participated have grandparents living in long-term care.
"They are very excited to do it for them. These are people they can relate to," Bromley said.
Tarah Belcourt, director of resident programs for Spencer House Orillia, says residents are "grateful" for the partnership with local schools.
"The students bring so much joy to the lives of residents at Spencer House," she said. "We would like to give a very special thank-you to the RWTO Orillia branch for organizing this wonderful program and bringing so many smiles to the residents at Spencer House."
Liz Wigg, a Spencer House resident council leader, says receiving the cards means a lot.
"I keep all my cards from the students over the years. I take them out and look at them when I want to have a smile," she said.
Lynda Bowden, also a resident council leader at Spencer House, says receiving cards during the holidays is uplifting.
"I just love the cards," she said. "It's so nice to know that the kids are thinking about us and care about us."
