“Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before! What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. What if Christmas…perhaps…means a little bit more!” ~Dr. Seuss, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
Adopt-a-Senior Christmas Gifts. Photo courtesy of Gilbert Chamber of Commerce
The folks at the Gilbert AZ Chamber of Commerce have a habit of making Christmas mean a little bit more.
Thank You Thursday has recognized the Gilbert Chamber several times in the past, but again this year they’ve gone above and beyond to demonstrate that Dr. Seuss was right “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” ~Dr. Seuss, The Lorax
Each Christmas for the past 8 years, Sarah Watts, Community Partnerships & Marketing Director for the Gilbert Chamber, has been the enthusiasm behind Gilbert’s “Adopt-a-Senior” program, a brilliant little affair that makes the holidays brighter for many of Gilbert’s low-income, homebound and disabled Senior Citizens.
Senior holiday breakfast party. Photo courtesy of Gilbert Chamber of Commerce.
A modest Christmas wish list is collected from seniors living in low-income housing and those who participate in Meals on Wheels. The lists are then distributed to community members who shop, wrap and return the gifts to the Chamber.
Sarah tells us that 96 wish lists were fulfilled this year! And through additional donations, the Chamber hosted a Seniors holiday celebration that included breakfast, giveaways and gift cards.
Bill Salvatore of Arizona Elite Properties with Jessica Sanchez of Gilbert Chamber of Commerce, with gifts for the Adopt-a-Senior program.
My wife and I have had the honor of participating in the Adopt-a-Senior program for (I think) six years now and I’ve never quite been able to determine if maybe this might just be an act of festive self-indulgence on our part. There’s a substantial quantity of warm fuzzies that come with participation in these things. The Salvation Army red kettles, angel trees at the mall, Toys for Tots… they’ve all been a long-standing tradition in our family. But Adopt-a-Senior has a special feel. There’s a certain esteem and gratitude due our elder population for their lifetime of wisdom and their lasting contribution to society. And so this Thank You Thursday we want to thank the Gilbert Chamber of Commerce, for giving us the opportunity to express our appreciation at least once a year… and for making Christmas “mean a little bit more”.
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