A local group of volunteers are encouraging the community to think of seniors this holiday season.
Santa for Seniors is hosted by local volunteers who are looking for residents to write cards and send gifts to seniors in Chatham-Kent.
Too often, the senior population is forgotten during the holiday season, and many spend the festive time lonely and isolated.
Those who would like to contribute can spend time with their family writing fun cards, and putting together small gift boxes.
Over the last few years, over 5,000 gifts have been collected and over 15,000 cards have been provided.
Dava Robichaud, co-organizer of Santa for Seniors, says it's great to give back.
"The community either donates cash so that we can shop for them, or they fill the box and bring it back to us so that we can organize and wrap. We deliver them the week leading up to Christmas so that they have a gift to open Christmas morning."
She says they see a range of gifts in the boxes.
"Socks, deodorants, holiday brooches, scarves, and mitts, little goodies like Werther's. Or toiletries, stuff like that, just little things to bring them some cheer. We have a lot of people that put in handmade items... bookmarks, crossword puzzles."
Robichaud says she started this in COVID-19 when visitors weren't allowed.
"Seniors who were so used to having visitors were not going to have any visitors, and it looked like there was not going to be any kind of holiday cheer for them. I just remember my mother being in the nursing home, and there were always one of us children there visiting her everyday, and that's what kept in the back of my mind was no... they need something."
The gifts are delivered the week before Christmas.
Residents can drop off the cards or gifts at the TekSavvy Security Kiosk at 800 Richmond Street in Chatham, and Community Living Administration Offices at 1100 Dufferin Ave in Wallaceburg.
Organizers and volunteers will be sanitizing all gifts before boxes are wrapped.