Tag: donation

The 2024 holiday season was a beautiful reminder of what can happen when a community comes together. Thanks to the kindness of individuals and businesses, we brought joy to 3,800 seniors across our 41 GEF communities. From festive events to thoughtful gifts, the generosity shown from our donors and volunteers made the holiday season even more special. Scroll through the slideshow of pictures below to look back on some of our favorite moments!

A Record-Breaking Year of Giving

Celebrated on December 3, 2024, this year’s Giving Tuesday campaign was a big success! Together, we raised over $20,000 for our Quality of Life Fund, surpassing last year’s total of $18,000. Every dollar raised helps us enrich the lives of seniors, and we are so grateful to everyone who contributed. Visit our Donor and Volunteer Recognition page to see a list of our supporters.

Making the Holidays Bright

Thanks to our incredible community, we were able to:

• Provide 168 grocery gift cards as well as other gifts to be used as door prizes for seniors at holiday events and upcoming winter festivals across all of our sites.

• Give 285 seniors a magical evening on the Borealis Holiday Lights Tour, completely free of charge.

• Bring vibrant energy to the billiards room at Strathcona Place with a new 32” Smart TV.

• Direct over $2,000 in individual donations to specific GEF communities.

• Contribute $2,500 to the Compassion Fund for those clients most in need.

A Successful Year for Stocking Stuffers for Seniors

The generosity of London Drugs and Albertans made this year’s Stocking Stuffers for Seniors 2024 campaign the biggest one yet! Thanks to their support, a record 1,600 seniors in 20 GEF communities received holiday gifts. Their kindness made the season brighter for so many.

Deck the Halls: Volunteers Made the Season Shine

Nothing says the holidays like twinkling lights and festive decorations! This year, several volunteers gave their time to decorate our communities, adding warmth and cheer to our seniors’ homes.

A special thank you to the Old Navy store team in Edmonton, who not only helped decorate but also donated 310 cozy holiday gift bags for several seniors in our communities — as well as housing applicants waiting for a place to call home.

The Spirit of Giving Continues

The holidays may be over, but the spirit of giving continues all year long. Your support makes all the difference! Donate to our Quality of Life Fund and choose exactly where your gift will go. Together, we can continue to bring joy and connection to the seniors who call GEF their home.

Thanks to all the individuals, businesses, and volunteers for making 2024 so unforgettable. Here’s to another year of compassion, kindness, community, and giving!

I was a very magical few days in December for hundreds of GEF Seniors Housing residents when Santa and his elves made their rounds to deliver presents as part of London Drugs’ Stocking Stuffers for Seniors 2019 Campaign.

What started out in 2015 with Operation Friendship Seniors Society and London Drugs partnering together with a goal to help 40 seniors in its first year has grown exponentially in five short years. Today, Stocking Stuffers for Seniors helps more than 4,000 seniors in Northern Alberta and 17,000 seniors across Western Canada have a brighter Christmas! The campaign now involves all London Drugs stores. Altogether, 878 seniors in eight different GEF Seniors Housing communities received a gift this holiday season.

The approach is simple, but the impact is immeasurable. Generous strangers carefully choose a name tag from specially-marked tree displays at their London Drugs store of choice and, our of the goodness of their hearts, but what’s written on the tag as their senior’s wish list – often adding in a few extra surprises. “I think the generosity of others in the community and the surprise of receiving a gift was really awesome,” said Montgomery Place Recreation Coordinator, Christine Kemp.

On delivery day, everyone was buzzing with anticipation. “I was up early – I am so excited!” said one resident. Santa and his London Drugs elves arrived, and the faces of residents and staff lit up like Christmas trees. “It was like Christmas morning for these residents – they were glowing,” said one staff member.

It was an overwhelming sight to see the number of presents that showed up under the trees at our GEF communities. After the gifts were distributed, residents started opening their presents. As well as the chorus of “oohs” and “aahs” around the room, seniors said comments like “This is more than I expected,” “This is over and above anything I could have imagined,” “I got just what I wanted,” “I wish I could say thank you to all the kind people,” and “I don’t usually get excited for Christmas anymore but this brought back feelings that I had as a kid.”

Some of our residents don’t have family so it was a surprise to them when they received a gift. “I wouldn’t have gotten any Christmas gifts this year, so thank you very much,” said one resident. At least one senior saved his presents to open on Christmas day because he doesn’t have any family. These unexpected gifts, filled with love, showed the residents just how much ther are cared for and each senior was grateful for what they had received.

“When you see someone’s face light up and the expression of someone who doesn’t normally get this, it’s a really special feeling and it makes my heart happy!” said another staff member.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to making this Christmas so memorable – not just for our seniors, but for all of the participating seniors who needed a little cheer this year! It will be a day they will never forget.