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Monday, March 18, 2024
March 18, 2024

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Santas for seniors goes electronic

Website assists in giving a gift a local senior will love

By , Columbian staff writer
Published:

Giving trees and collection barrels are so analog. The handiest way these days to ensure that needy local seniors enjoy some holiday cheer is digital.

OK, you do still need to do the physical shopping and bring your donation to a real barrel, bucket or other collection site. And you still can start out by perusing names and gift requests that are dangling off actual trees at 11 Clark County locations if you prefer.

But the Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce and Meals on Wheels have launched a website where you can review a long list of names and requests — a book for Herbert, a Mariners hat for Jerry, a sweater for Sylvia — and commit to making the purchase.

Send in your email address to get a confirmation and instructions, and then drop off your wrapped, labeled gift at the chamber office downtown, 1101 Broadway, Suite 100, no later than Dec. 3.

Even better, bring your gift to the Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce’s “Holiday Heroes” luncheon, which is set for 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Dec. 5 at the Heathman Lodge, 7801 N.E. Greenwood Drive.

The cost of the luncheon is $35 for chamber members and $40 for nonmembers. Preregistration is required. Call 360-694-2588 or visit www.vancouverusa.com to learn more.

The luncheon will include entertainment by a holiday choir and a “big reveal” honoring the chamber’s 2013 Ambassador of the Year. Plus, purple elves will be visiting from the North Pole to collect and deliver the donated gifts.

All of this is aimed at making sure local senior citizens who are alone or impoverished feel some caring and generosity.

“It is heartbreaking to think of the senior members of our community spending the holidays all by themselves, without any gifts or any way to celebrate the season,” said Julie Williams, president of the Home Instead Senior Care office in Clark County, which has led this effort for several years running. “It can be a really tough time of year for them.”

Visit the chamber/Meals on Wheels website and follow the “choose your senior” link. Or, stop by a Christmas tree stationed at one of the following 11 sites from Nov. 24 to Dec. 12, select an ornament, do your shopping and then return to drop off your unwrapped gift (still with identifying ornament):

• Mill Creek Pub, 1710 S.W. 9th Ave, Battle Ground.

• Riverview Bank, Salmon Creek branch, 800 N.E. Tenney Rd, Vancouver.

• Salmon Creek Plastic Surgery, 13712 N.E. 10th Ave., Vancouver.

• Al Angelo Company, 11205 N.E. 28th St., Vancouver.

• Riverview Bank, Heights branch, 915 MacArthur Blvd., Vancouver.

• Marshall Center, 1009 E. McLoughlin Blvd., Vancouver.

• Firstenburg Community Center, 700 N.E. 136th Ave., Vancouver.

• Riverview Community Bank, 320 S.E. 192nd Ave., Vancouver.

• Camas Chamber of Commerce, 422 N.E. 4th Ave., Camas.

• Washougal Senior Center, 1681 C St., Washougal.

• Riverview Bank Camas, 700 NE 4th Ave. #100, Camas.

Staff and volunteers with Friends of the Elder Justice Center, Prestige Care and Meals on Wheels will work with Home Instead to collect, wrap and distribute these gifts. They’re hoping to brighten as many as 500 seniors’ holidays in all. Williams pointed out that for some, the friendly delivery visit may be as important as the gift.

For more information, visit BeaSantatoaSenior.com or call 360-253-6028.

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