Christmas treats and other surprises were packed into hundreds of gift bags for the annual Community Services Seniors’ Christmas Luncheon.
About six to eight volunteers from the Meadow Ridge Rotary Club packed around 300 gift bags for the event, which is being held in person again for the first time since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Gift bags were packed with chocolates, notepads, pens, flashlights, stuffies, tea bags, apple cider, calendars, and Hardbite potato chips, said Community Services seniors community connector, Sandi Temple.
In addition, there were eight volunteers who knitted 300 dishcloths – one for every bag.
“They had a nice little assembly line set up for them in the community room here,” said Temple.
About 270 seniors have signed up to attend the lunch that will be taking place at 1 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 15, at Maple Ridge Alliance Church.
They will be treated to a traditional turkey dinner – including stuffing and all the fixings.
Meadow Ridge Rotary provided the food, the Salvation Army Ridge Meadows Ministries will be cooking the lunch, Cobs in Maple Ridge donated 120 dinner buns and is providing the rest at a discounted price.
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Seniors who will be attending will be from the Community Services: Social Prescribing Program, Meals On Wheels, Better At Home, and the Party Bus. There are also seniors from the Maple Ridge Pitt Meadows Katzie Seniors Network included as well.
Temple said the need is still the same as in previous years – even when they were delivering the meals and gift bags to each senior’s home during the pandemic.
The extra gift bags will go to the Salvation Army to hand out to their clients, said Temple.
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About 10 students from Maple Ridge Christian School will be volunteering their time to serve food and drinks. A nine-year-old daughter of one of the volunteers will be helping to hand out the gift bags.
Santa Claus will also be making an appearance wishing all the guests a Merry Christmas.
Temple noted the luncheon would not be possible without help from the Stewart Family Foundation, the Seniors Network, PetSmart, Meadow Ridge Rotary, the Salvation Army, and the church.
The gift bags will be handed out to guests as they leave.
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