Image Credit: CFJC Today / Kent Simmonds

By Dylana Kneeshaw

SECRET SANTA DELIVERIES

Operation: Secret Santa delivering holiday cheer to seniors in Kamloops

Dec 13, 2023 | 7:00 PM

KAMLOOPS — Bags, upon bags, upon bags… The Kamloops Centre for Seniors Information quite literally has its hands full with Operation: Secret Santa deliveries.

“We’re on track this year to do as many (gift bags) as we did last year — and last year I believe we came in just over 600,” says Kamloops CSI Executive Director Brandi Allen.

The centre is collecting donations to distribute Christmas gifts in an effort to show potentially isolated people they’re not alone. It’s the tenth year of Operation: Secret Santa, and one of the largest campaigns so far.

Allen says many of the seniors they deliver to don’t have family in town.

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“A lot of the people who we visit during this time of year, sometimes it’s the only visit that they receive in that year,” explains Allen, “and definitely the only gift that they receive.”

People who take part can donate items or have a bag put together on their behalf by donating online, or through sponsorship tree tags at London Drugs.

“Our biggest [sponsor] is probably London Drugs,” said Allen. “They put up that Christmas tree every year with tags on it, and when they collect the donations from the tags, those are some of the gifts that we give out in the community.”

Delivering the packages is also a good way for the centre to check in on people. The BC Community Response Network (BC CRN) helps with that by adding a resource directory to the bags for people experiencing elder abuse or neglect.

“I think that’s really key, is we’re not asking people to go to a website, we’re bringing the information right to them,” says BC CRN Kamloops Coordinator Maureen Doll.

Doll says they’ve found that having agency phone numbers printed out and readily available is most effective.

“They can pick up a phone and they can call somebody and get a human being on the other line to talk them through their situation,” said Doll.

Packing up and loading out 600-plus bags of gifts is a lot of work, but the people taking on Operation: Secret Santa say the end result is worth the effort.

“This is our favourite project out of all the projects that we do,” adds Allen. “This is the best service that we provide.”

This year’s cut-off to donate items, or sponsor a senior is Dec. 15. For details, contact the Kamloops CSI Northills Mall location at (778) 470-6000.