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By Holly Bridges Major Darren Steele would be happy. The Canadian Forces Public Affairs Officer (who served almost three years with Air Force Public Affairs in Ottawa) would be happy to know his dream of helping lonely seniors at Christmas is living on. Maj Steele was killed in a motorcycle accident in Colorado Springs, Colorado last June while serving with North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) Public Affairs. Immediately following his passing, many people wondered if his “Christmas Smiles for Seniors ” program would continue. It is, thanks to a core group of volunteer organizers calling themselves “Team Darren” who have stepped up to keep the program going, and a legion of more than 1,000 elves who are committed to seeing it continue. “With the loss of our Head Elf in June 2006 we needed another approach,” says Dannette McLeod. “No one person could ever fill Darren’s shoes so we formed ‘Team Darren’.” In fact, this year, the program is bigger and better than ever with seniors from 50 homes in Ottawa receiving more than 1,500 gifts. Christmas Smiles for Seniors gives gifts to seniors who have no one at Christmas time. Many seniors have no family while others have, sadly, been abandoned. It is hard enough to be alone at any time, but Christmas is the worst. The gift these seniors receive through the program is often their only gift. Many hands make light work “Darren loved his Christmas Smiles for Seniors,” said Ms. McLeod of Maj Steele’s devotion to the program. She personally saw that devotion first-hand two years ago when she and a small group of Maj Steele’s friends ran the program while he was deployed to Afghanistan for six months over the Christmas period. “Darren believed that if everyone did a little bit , we could collectively make a big difference. ‘Many hands make light work’ he would often say.” Captain Serge Duguay, an Air Force Communications and Electronics Engineering Officer in Ottawa, and his wife, Master Corporal Caroline Duguay, an Air Reservist, have been participating in the program since 2001. “My wife has had the chance to actually deliver the gifts in person and visit with the seniors,” says Capt Duguay. “This first-hand experience really hits home on why we do this. The reaction of some of the residents is very touching. My mother was in a home for the last 10 years of her life, her illness requiring constant medical supervision. However, being a mother of 11 brought her lots of visitors. During these visits, I realized how many of the seniors were lonely. If a few dollars and a little bit of time can bring them a little joy at Christmas, then why not?” He was lonely too Maj Steele got the idea for the program in 2000 after moving to Ottawa. “Legend has it that Darren had recently moved to Ottawa, had no family here and a small group of friends,” says Ms. McLeod. “It was nearing Christmas, and Darren was feeling a little down, but as fortune would have it, he lived and worked in close proximity to a few seniors residences. He considered the situation of elders in our community who had far less than he did. No family, no support network of friends, and many of these souls with very limited means. Darren contacted a few of these nearby residences to research the possibility of ensuring these elders knew someone WAS thinking about them and a passion ignited. Darren’s premise was simple – no one should be forgotten at Christmas .” Gifts from Afghanistan This year, Ms. McLeod has even received gifts for seniors from a woman in Wisconsin who heard about the program on the radio over the Internet, as well as a Canadian Forces member deployed to Afghanistan. “This member will warm the hearts of seniors from the other side of the globe. I will likely never meet this person, but every year, we work together from wherever she is posted – she either sends a cheque or like this year, special gifts from afar.” Although the program involves many members of the Canadian Forces, both military and civilian, anyone can become involved, anywhere in Canada, the United States or elsewhere. If you would like more information about Christmas Smiles for Seniors, how to start a program in your community, or learn more about how to get involved, visit www.christmassmiles.com The members of “Team Darren” are: Dannette McLeod, Stacey Doraty, Roxanne Coupal, Joyce Dumont, Soo Samler, France Isabelle, Andréa Rhéaume, Caroline Pollock, Holly Bridges and Major Mary Lee.

We first organized this volunteer initiative for Christmas 2000 and it has continued to grow each year thanks to the support of several hundred volunteer elves. Volunteer elves include military and civilian members of the Department of National Defence, along with spouses, children, and friends. In 2002, word spread and several new volunteers outside the Department joined our team. In this effort, the more the merrier, because there is always room for another elf. The first year we collected 225 gifts for 175 seniors in eight homes in the Ottawa-Hull area, and in our second year, the numbers doubled. In 2002 we decided to step up our collective effort because the need was only growing and we collected approximately 750 gifts for 541 seniors in 18 different homes in the area. In 2003 , we reached more than 1150 seniors, and in 2004 our numbers topped 1400 seniors in eastern Ontario and Quebec. In 2014 we reached more than **** seniors. This web site helps us reach out to even more people who are alone at Christmas time. Click here for more information on how we organize the gift collection. If you, your club or your office would like to become part of our group of volunteer elves please send us an email by clicking here We hope to hear from you.

Greetings all, ​ 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. ​ PARTICIPATION OPTIONS: ​ 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/ ). ​ 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 . ​ 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. ​ 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 ​ 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.

As we all know, many hands make light work. At Christmas Smiles for Seniors, we try to keep it simple so that no one person is overwhelmed. Here is how it works: Christmas Smiles for Seniors put out a notice that it is once again time to start thinking of Christmas, and let the volunteer elves know that it will soon be time to get the lists in. Christmas Smiles for Seniors contacts the homes and gets a list of people and gift suggestions for each senior in need. Santa only has to check his list twice, but we don’t have that much practice, so we have to check ours at least a half a dozen times! Some of the Volunteer Coordinators organize groups of people, and they adopt a home to look after. From that point on, they take care of the gift collection and delivery for their home. We also get individual Volunteer Elves to buy gifts for anyone not already looked after. Anyone who wants to participate gets a person to buy for, along with the gift suggestions for that person. They bring the gift, wrapped and tagged and ready for giving, to their Volunteer Coordinator and we arrange for delivery. Once all the gifts are taken care of, we arrange a delivery time with the respective homes and they give the gifts out either during their Christmas party or on Christmas day. All gifts are anonymous. Christmas Smiles for Seniors Step 1 Christmas is coming, get the lists in. Step 2 Contact the homes. Step 3 Elves adopt homes. Step 4 Elves adopt seniors. Step 5 Gifts are delivered Volunteer Elves (you) Step 1: Contact Christmas Smiles for Seniors to request a senior (click here ) http://mailto :smilesforseniorsmailbox@gmail.com / Step 2: Receive a wishlist for a special senior Step 3: Purchase, wrap and deliver gift to your Volunteer Coordinator

We give gifts to seniors who have no one in their lives at Christmas time. Many seniors have no family. Some have limited incomes and their families live too far away to visit, while others have sadly been abandoned. It is hard enough to be alone at any time, but Christmas has to be the hardest. The goal of Christmas Smiles for Seniors is to bring a smile to lonely seniors by remembering them at this most festive time of year. Click here to see how we got started. To make the gifts personal and meaningful, we ask each senior on our list for gift suggestions, and the volunteers go out and pick up some, or even all, of the items that were requested. This ensures that each of our seniors receives a gift that they both want and can use, and shows them that someone cares about them. Click here for more details on how the process works. Care-givers at the seniors homes help us by taking the time to provide us with our shopping lists; their cooperation is vital to the success of our efforts. We are grateful for all they do every year to help their residents. To volunteer with us, click here to send an email.

The Team The core team who ensures this event takes place successfully every year has only four members in 2018. This team donates many volunteer hours during one of the busiest seasons of the year but each person is committed to ensuring everyone this holiday season has a reason to smile. We are thankful that year after year they return to share their wonderful smiles. ​ Core Team Chantal, Kathy, Sophia, Glen, (Stacey) ​ Volunteer Head Elf: The Volunteer Head Elf (HE) is the mastermind behind it all. She contacts all residents and Volunteer Elf Coordinators (EC) to ensure they would like to participate this year. She connects our new Volunteer Elves with seniors and/or EC’s. The Head Elf takes on the residences that do not have an Elf Coordinator (in 2018, that is 25 residences). Currently the Head Elf finds transportation for all the gifts to get to the residences (available position, below Transportation Coordinator) The Head Elf works tirelessly from the start of her season (In 2018, she began at the end of August) and will work until December 24th. She also finds new ways to recruit new volunteers (in 2018, she began “cold” emails and added the “Elf Helper” position) Volunteer Information Elf: The Volunteer Information Elf (IE) answers all emails coming in from the website and Facebook page. She coordinates closely with the the Volunteer Head Elf (HE) to ensure Volunteer Elves are being matched with seniors and/or Volunteer Elf Coordinators (EC). Available position: Volunteer Transportation Coordinator: The Volunteer Transportation Coordinator works closely with the Head Elf to find volunteers to assist with the delivery. ​ The Extended Team Resident Coordinators, Staff & Caregivers The Caregivers and Resident Coordinators play a major role in making this event a success. They take the time to talk to each senior asking for their individual Christmas wishes. Without their assistance we wouldn’t be able to personalize each gift. Thank you for taking the time to make this day special for those in your care. Available position: Volunteer Elf Coordinators: The Volunteer Elf Coordinators (EC) take on the responsibility of one, or more, homes. They do all of the organizing and deliveries,. These individuals take a large quantity of seniors and find the Volunteer Elves to fill the gift requests. The team relies on these amazing volunteers. Thank you for all your time and effort! Available position: Volunteer Elf Helpers: The Volunteer Elf Helpers (EH) recruits 10 or more volunteers to purchase gifts for seniors, the organize their 10 volunteers, providing the wishlists, answering questions and getting all the gifts delivered to them. They then deliver to their Volunteer Elf Coordinator. ​ Available position: Volunteer Elves: Our Volunteer Elves go out to the shops, look for the best prices, and selects the Seniors gifts. Each person who contributes, either by a financial donation, bulk gift items or purchasing a gift for one (or more) senior(s) makes a huge difference in the life of everyone involved. For more information on how you can become an Elf and purchase a gift for a senior, please click here to see our page on how it works or click here to send an email directly. Sponsors: One of our annual sponsors is Dymon Storage . This organization generously provides storage for our gifts and drop off locations to ensure this process is convenient for all. We can’t thank them enough! We truly appreciate all their support over the past few years.

Christmas Count Down ‘Tis the Season for Christmas Smiles Welcome to Christmas Smiles For Seniors Dec 25, 2023 Find us on Facebook Elves Needed !! Click Here. RSVP Please join us for a jolly night of giving Christmas Smiles to Seniors Elves Sign Up Here Doing What? Delivering well deserved Christmas Gifts to a Senior in your neighbourhood Where? At a location close to you. When ? Christmas - December 25th 2022 Anchor 2

Who are the elves? Hopefully you! The “elves” are the volunteers who purchase, wrap and deliver the gifts to the coordinators in preparation for delivery. What is a wishlist? This is the list of requests from your senior. ​ Do I need to get everything on the list? No, you can get as much or as little on the list as you would like. Do I give the gifts directly to my senior? No, for the privacy and safety of the seniors our elves are not able to meet their senior. This gift is anonymous. You are able to sign the card with your first name or “Santa’s Elf” Can I have the same senior I had last year? Your coordinator should contact you when he/she has the wishlists available. Sometimes this is possible, however sometimes our seniors move or pass away so it is not guaranteed. Please ask your coordinator if you are able, and he/she will do his/her best to meet your requests. How much money do I have to spend? While there is no minimum or maximum, we suggest approximately $35 to spend on your senior. Some of our seniors are bedridden. These homes request a nightgown that allows the patient/senior to be bathed or receive medication while respecting their dignity. These gowns are expensive at $90. If you are able to spend a little more on your gift please let your coordinator know. The past few years we have been fortunate with financial donations and generous elves and have been, able to fulfil these requests. Do I have to wrap the gift? Yes, the gifts should be wrapped and tagged as requested by your coordinator Do I have to add a card? The gift must be tagged/labelled with the seniors name and residence – this can change depending on the residence. When you get your seniors wishlist, there will be instructions on what to write on the label. It is preferable and meaningful to add a card. Some families have their children make a card; some add the card they send out to their own families. As long as the gift is labelled, it is up to you. Can I add my contact information on the card? No, please do not add your contact information on the gift or card. Where do I bring the gift once it is ready to be delivered? Your coordinator will tell you where to drop off the gift. They will also provide a date that the gift must be delivered by. I speak another language. Can I request a senior who speaks my first language? You can request it, however, please note that as a volunteer organization we cannot accommodate many of these requests. Sometimes, we work with community centres, such as the Good Companion Centre, who do not house the seniors or know them, or their first language. Christmas Smiles for Seniors is largely English, however, we have several French speaking seniors. Can I organize a group of people to participate? Of course! Friends, family, workplaces, church, community groups – these are all great places to ask if anyone else would like to participate. How can I coordinate gifts for my own home? Contact Christmas Smiles for Seniors here. We do ask that in your first year as a volunteer you coordinate your group with a Volunteer Coordinator. If you enjoy it and it fits in your schedule, request your own home at the end of the season. We will put your name on the list for the following year. Coordinating your own home is a big responsibility and we want to ensure you are well prepared for the tasks at hand. How do you find seniors? We contact seniors residences and senior communities in the Ottawa area. If they meet the requirements, we ask if they would like to participate. I’d love to do more! Can I join the Christmas Smiles for Seniors team? We always need more volunteer elves to help support this event and the seniors in need. Can I help in the seniors home? Unfortunately, our program does not coordinate volunteers to go into the homes since this type of initiative is regulated by government who have strict guidelines on who can work or volunteer. Please don’t let this deter you from considering another volunteer role in a seniors residence or community. Try contacting Volunteer Ottawa . If you have any other questions please click here , we happy to help!