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Greetings all,

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It’s that most wonderful time of the year for another season of Christmas Smiles for Seniors.  Last year Christmas Smiles was a great success; we were able to provide gifts to 2124 individuals in 53 residences across the Ottawa/Gatineau region.  Thank you so much for your generosity in years past and we hope you will choose to be a part of the program again this year. 

Our program works with senior residences and communities in the Ottawa area serving all those who are receiving assistance from the City of Ottawa.  The City of Ottawa senior buildings and residences also house adults with disabilities, who are included in our program.

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PARTICIPATION OPTIONS:

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  • Gift(s) Purchase:

This involves purchasing, wrapping, labeling, and providing a ‘wish’ gift of approximately $35.00 in value.  Please contact the individual who sent you this email and they will put you in touch with a residence coordinator.  The coordinator will provide you with all the information you need on your senior’s wish gift and will be able to answer any other questions you may have.  If you have no contact person, then please go to our web site and e-mail the Head Elf (http://www.christmassmiles.com/).

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  • Residence Coordinator: 

This involves liaising with a residence, matching a resident with your own network of volunteers (elves), collecting gifts from elves, and delivering gifts to the residence.  Some residences only have a few in need of a smile, other facilities have more. We try to match a Coordinator with a home size that they are comfortable with, and we are always available to help you find more elves if needed!! If you would like more information please contact Stacey Doraty at Stacey.smilesforseniors@gamil.com.

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  • Gift Pickup /  Delivery: 

Volunteers are needed to pick up and deliver gifts. There are many gifts that need to be collected from elves, sorted and organized before being delivered to the residences.  If you received this from a home coordinator, please contact them to see if they need assistance.  If you have no contact, please go to our web site and email the Head Elf (http://www.christmassmiles.com/).

A special note regarding the delivery of the gifts – most of our gifts are delivered anonymously with the exception of a few residences.  This is done to protect the privacy of the individual. Usually, our gifts are placed (by the staff) next to the bedside to be opened on Christmas morning or are opened together as a group on Christmas day.  If you are looking to visit a senior at Christmas time, we suggest you contact a seniors residence in your neighborhood.

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  • Donations:

We often receive last minute requests for gifts, and we use our cash and gift donations to fulfill these requests.   If you would like to donate small gifts that we can use to make up our gift bags, please refer to our list below.  We ask that you kindly limit your purchases to those itemized in our list, and no used/recycled items please!  If you wish to donate cash to be used to fulfill a senior’s wish list, cheques can be made out to “Christmas Smiles for Seniors” and sent to Stacey Doraty c/o Christmas Smiles for Seniors, 98 Rothwell Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, K1L 8V9.

If you have received this message in error, please reply to the sender and have them take you off their distribution list. We apologize for any inconvenience!  Thank you again for your support in years past.  If we’ve missed anyone, please spread the word. 

Let’s keep Darren’s Christmas magic alive!

Cheers, Team Smiles

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Gift Donations:

  • Toiletries for men and women (ie. Shampoo, soap, body wash, deodorant, toothbrush and paste, hand and body lotion, deodorant, shaving cream and disposable razors, powder)

  • Hats, mitts and scarves.

  • Calendars

  • Lap blankets, or warm blankets.

  • Tim Horton gift cards ($5 denominations)

  • Socks and Slippers

  • Treat food (ie cookies, candy, chocolates, crackers) for both diabetics and non-diabetics.

  • Small Christmas decoration

  • Medium sized gift bags and tissue paper (no boxes please)

 

 

* Dolls go to individuals with Alzheimer’s or other dementias, brain injuries, psychiatric or developmental impairments.

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