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LAC LA BICHE - The Interact Club students at Lac La Biche’s J.A. Williams High School (JAWS) are donating $500 to the Community Connections Group — a local volunteer organization whose members will use the money to put smiles on seniors’ faces this holiday season.
The money will be going towards creating a gift bag for every senior at Lac La Biche’s LacAlta Lodge and Points West Living, as well as Pioneer Villa and North Star Villa in Plamondon.
Since COVID-19 has restricted family gatherings, and has especially impacted seniors’ socialization with their loved ones, members of the Community Connections Group wanted to do something to make a difference, says Heather Stromquist, the director of community partnerships and engagement at Northern Lights Public Schools (NLPS), and a Connections group member
The gifts that have been chosen are hoped to sooth the minds — and the hands of local seniors as they deal with pandemic challenges. Organizers have purchased hand lotions and creams to help sooth the effects of constant hand washing and sanitizing. A selection of winter gloves will also be in the ‘hand-y’ gift bag, along with stocking stuffers and encouraging letters from Lac La Biche County residents of all ages. Sponsored by the Rotary Club, the student members of the Interact Club have also included their own letters to the seniors, as well as creating art to be sent in the gift bags.
Cordelia Lyons, the president of the Interact Club, says they have had an accumulation of money from past fundraisers and events so they wanted to give back to a worthy cause this Christmas.
“The seniors aren’t getting as many visitors as they usually would around the holiday season, and it’s getting hard to visit family members,” said Lyons. “I have a grandparent in the hospital in Edmonton, who I haven’t been able to interact with, so just being able to give all of the seniors gifts this holiday season is important. We need to keep them feeling connected during these difficult times.”
Western Financial Group donates
The Community Connections Group is not the only group to receive a recent $500 donation during the holiday season.
The Northern Lights Public Schools nutrition program had the same amount donated by the Lac La Biche branch of the Western Financial Group. The nutrition program, called Food for Thought, aims to provide healthy meals and snacks to students, especially the ones whose families can’t afford regular healthy meals.
The pandemic has taken a toll on the nutrition program, minimizing it to a weekly food hamper for students who need it most. The $500 donation will go far in helping the program get back on its feet, say appreciative program officials
