TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — As the holiday season approaches, Elder Care Services’ Elder Elf program is working to ensure seniors living on fixed incomes feel supported, remembered, and cared for by their community.
- The Elder Elf program allows community members to “adopt” seniors by fulfilling holiday wish lists that include basic needs and small treats.
- Last year, more than 200 seniors benefited from the program thanks to help from over 130 individuals and groups.
- Watch the video below to hear from program organizers about why this effort means so much to local seniors.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
For many seniors living on fixed incomes, the holidays can be especially difficult.
But one local program is making sure seniors in Leon and surrounding counties feel remembered, supported, and cared for.
“To hear their stories and see what it means to them, this program is just so special, and it means so much to so many people,” said Nicole Ballas, the COO of Elder Care Services Inc.
Elder Care Services’ Elder Elf program helps ensure local seniors feel remembered and supported during the holiday season.
Care managers work directly with seniors to create wish lists that include basic needs and small holiday treats. Community members, families, and local businesses can “adopt” a senior by fulfilling a wish list.
Ballas said, "We are so lucky in Tallahassee to have such a great group of people who support all throughout the year. We have a lot of individuals that do this. But we also have some companies that come, and so they’ll get either the general wish list or they’ll pick multiple seniors.”
And Nicole has seen the benefits of the program firsthand.
“One year, I had someone who called me crying because she had needed shampoo, and she wasn’t able to take a shower. And she was like, 'I’m sorry. I opened my gifts early, but I just got too excited.' Someone had given her shampoo, which was on her list, so she could take a shower that day. And she was just so happy and so appreciative, just like, 'I want you to call the supporter and make sure they know how much that meant,'" added Ballas.
The program serves seniors throughout Leon and surrounding counties and creates meaningful connections during the holidays.
Case Manager Evelyn Mizrahi said, “Older adults is a population that needs a little bit more attention and support. And so to be able to provide these people that might be ignored or look down upon just making them feel like they matter and they are seen and they are supported and loved by their community, I think that that’s something that we all need to pay more attention to.”
Elder Care Services says the need continues to grow each year as the senior population increases. If you’d like to adopt a senior or learn more about the Elder Elf program, you can find that information on their website at eldercarebigbend.com.
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