Lake Macquarie Preschool student Flynn D has been helping spread some Christmas cheer to seniors living within the Hunter region.
By using the tools the three-year-old knows all too well, he’s been putting smiles on the faces of residents at a number of addresses in the Home Instead Newcastle network.
In collaboration with the facilities in both Lake Macquarie and Newcastle, the youngster has been one of many to decorate and distribute Christmas cards to seniors, many living alone.
And how does it make him feel?
“I like making people happy and making cards for other Grammies like mine,” he said.
For those on the receiving end the sentiment is much the same, with Swansea’s The Village resident, 87-year-old Betty Harvie, thrilled to find some Christmas cheer.
“I just love them,” she said.
“I worked in schools for years and I really appreciate the card so much.”
Flynn and Betty have been taking part in Home Instead Newcastle’s Be a Santa to a Senior program, in which the home care provider collaborated with local community groups to decorate and distribute more than 800 hand-written cards to residents across various local aged care facilities.
The facilities included The Village Swansea Retirement Village, Lake Macquarie Village, Terraglin Village, The Sanctuary Village, Dune Rise Village, Mater Hospital Older Persons Mental Health Unit, Belmont Hospital STRAS Unit and Rankin Park Rehabilitation Geriatric Unit.
The cards were the handiwork of students from Elder St Early Childhood Centre, Lake Macquarie Preschool, The Rumpus Room Pelican, Girrinbai Preschool Jewells, Redhead Community Preschool, Creative Kids Preschool Belmont, Charlestown Childcare & Education Centre, A Magical Time Children’s Centre Kotara, Warners Bay Early Learning and Care Centre and Merewether Day Care.
Home Instead Central Coast and Newcastle community engagement manager Samantha Farham says the ‘Be a Santa for a Senior’ program provided an opportunity for children to carry out an act of kindness for the elderly in their community over Christmas.
“We know that many seniors have missed the usual interaction they would have had with family and friends the past few years, so this is our way of adding some positivity and joy to the festive season,” she said.
“Our Be a Santa to a Senior is a wonderful program to bring holiday joy to our local seniors. I have seen firsthand the big smiles that light up their face when opening their beautifully decorated Christmas card from local pre-schoolers.
“Our local seniors have felt isolated from families and friends and especially grand and great grandchildren over the last few years and we wanted to bring them a little holiday cheer this year.”
Home Instead provides in-home care to support older Australians to continue living safely and independently in their own home.
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