Secret Santa gift program helps lonely Calgary seniors during the holidays

Volunteers will sort and wrap Christmas gifts Saturday for more than 5,000 Alberta seniors. It's a holiday tradition that's been organized for the past 34 years by Seniors Secret Service.

Andrea Brumwell, executive director of the charity, says the group helps isolated older adults who may have family far away and are forgotten on Christmas, or just not have any family to share the holiday with.

"The seniors are referred to us by 150  different partner agencies that we work with," Brumwell told the Calgary Eyeopener. "And it's up to them to tell us who they think needs some help."

Seniors Secret Service volunteers sign up to adopt a senior and donate a gift that will be given anonymously through the charity.

The items are collected in a warehouse.

We're talking 5,000 gifts — that's a lot of paperwork, but Brumwell says there's a system to make sure everyone gets the right gift.

"We have lists upon lists upon lists," she said. "So everything gets boxed up according to the location where the senior lives. And we send the gifts back out to their care partners, who then deliver them in time for Christmas."

Brumwell says it's important that the gifts do not feel like a charity handout.

"We try and make sure that it's very clear that this gift is from Santa, and that it's not charity because seniors are still very proud. So when the gift comes from Santa, it's really hard to say no."

Brumwell says even though the charity has enough gifts for its main Santa list this Christmas, there is always a need for more help.

"London Drugs is still running a program for us for stocking stuffers for seniors, where people can go into their stores and pick a tag off the tree and purchase a small item," she said.

"We'll use those items to help us make up last minute gifts for the seniors who maybe didn't get adopted through our regular program because we keep working right up until Christmas. There are folks who will still come to us who need gifts."

The Stocking Stuffers for Seniors campaign now includes more than 80 London Drugs locations in 35 cities across Western Canada. Popular gifts include toiletry sets, books and magazines, blankets, slippers, travel mugs, diabetic candy and pyjamas. To get involved, visit a London Drugs location before Dec. 16.

Programs like the Secret Santa Service can give isolated retirees who may have lost a spouse, or are without family, some much-needed contact with the outside world, Brumwell says.

For more information or to get involved in the Alberta charity at any time of year, visit Seniors Secret Service.

With files from the Calgary Eyeopener.