Christmas stockings overflowing with goodies delivered to seniors

The first year Joan King asked for help with a stocking project at Christmas, she was astonished by the outpouring of support she received. People were so generous, donating enough stockings and small gifts to fill them, that every resident in long-term care in Niagara-on-the-Lake received a Christmas stocking overflowing with gifts.

Four years later, she continues to be overwhelmed by the generosity of supporters who drop off filled stockings, or items to put in them.

King began stuffing stockings for those in local long-term care residences for Christmas in 2021, at the height of the pandemic, when most volunteer initiatives were cancelled. Visiting was also restricted, and she was concerned about the impact on lonely seniors. King decided to deliver Christmas spirit to them from the outside world, and lovingly set about filling enough stockings that each resident in the three local long-term care homes in NOTL would have gifts on Christmas morning.

This week, 175 stockings were dropped off for residents of Niagara Long Term Care on Wellington Street, as well as at Heritage Place, Pleasant Manor’s long-term care home in Virgil. Another 30 seniors living on their own will receive stockings delivered by Meals on Wheels volunteers.

Previous years there have been 80 stockings for Upper Canada Lodge, but most residents have already been moved out, and those remaining are leaving to go to Gilmore Lodge in Fort Erie, as Upper Canada Lodge closes its doors Wednesday.

King said that for the first time this year, she also delivered 156 stockings to Niagara Falls — 120 to Meadows of Dorchester and 36 to Bella Care Residence in Chippawa.

She had more than 100 volunteers putting together stockings, and she also received many donations to stuff stockings herself. Some volunteers were part of a group, such as Dorothy Soo-Wiens with NOTL Lions members, who donated 35 stockings, stuffed and ready to go, King said.

The Crossroads School Kindergarten class also took on the project, filling 67 stockings.

Hand-made cards were dropped off for King to distribute to seniors — it has become a holiday tradition for Amika Verwegen and her kids to craft cards to go with the stockings, and this year, although they are in Japan for the holidays, they made sure to finish their project and drop them off before they left, King said.

NEOB Lavender donated lotions and soaps, and the Town provided holiday cards signed by the lord mayor.

Staff at the receiving end continue to tell the NOTL Local how grateful they are when the stockings are dropped off each year, and how much they are appreciated at Christmas.

Cody Cowbrough, program manager at Niagara Long Term Care, was on-hand to help unload the stockings, along with recreation therapists Sheila Tryhorn and Local Steingart. They explain that before Christmas, they will go through the stockings to make sure each resident receives items they will most enjoy, and on Christmas day, staff members will deliver them, taking some time to help each resident as their stockings are unpacked.

“It will give us a chance to sit with them and talk about what’s in their stockings,” said Steingart, “and it means everybody gets to celebrate with some gifts on Christmas morning.”

The act of opening the stockings together, he said, “is meaningful both ways. It’s fun for us to celebrate with them at Christmas, and it’s fun for the residents to receive them.”

Tryhorn, who will be working Christmas Day, said not all residents will have visitors, and some wouldn’t have any gifts if it weren’t for the stockings.”Some don’t have families, or their families are far away and don’t get here, or if they do, not until later in the day. Opening the stockings with them is a special moment for all of us.”