Elves for Seniors MTL is spreading holiday cheer to long-term care residences across Montreal to break isolation and deliver donations. Thousands of gifts fill this an office room where the Elves for Seniors volunteers wrap and sort the donations. Alana Buist Edwards has been leading this charge for seven years. “Our seniors are often forgotten. You often hear of toy drives and food drives, but it’s very rare, especially in Montréal, that you hear about drives for seniors,” she says. Super-organized, her list and labels make sure the right gift goes to the person who requested it. Flipping through the pages, Edwards they have about 35 residences to visit — about 3,600 seniors. To prepare 3,600 gifts she had to begin planning in October. “We get Christmas list wishes from local seniors, residents across Montreal and surrounding areas,” says Edwards. Those wishes are written on tags that decorate trees in local businesses. People take a tag, buy the gift and put it back under the same tree for collection. Edwards’ husband Mike remembers when she did all this at home - covering the furniture. “One couch was one residence, another couch was another residence. The living room was another residence. The dining room table was another residence!” he recalls. Volunteer Lisa Charbonneau works at the lakeshore hospital and makes time to help every year. Her reason is simple: “it makes you feel great.” “And the seniors? They deserve a little love during the holidays. I work at the hospital, and so many people don’t come visit family. They don’t have families. So I think what Alana does is just amazing,” she adds. Volunteer Frank Fitzgerald chimes in that the program is for everybody. “It’s for all colors, all religions, all languages. We deliver where there’s a need, and it doesn’t matter what category you fall in. It’s a wonderful thing!” he says. The gifts are loaded up into the Santa-mobile, thusly named because Fitzgerald’s big red truck has a licence plate that simply reads SANTA. Then they deliver everything to the many seniors’ residences across the island like Pavillon Camille Lefèvre in Lachine. “This is just our small way of making them feel less alone at during especially during the holidays, when it can be the loneliest time for them,” says Edwards as and her Elves bring a little cheer where it’s needed.
