The eighth annual Stocking Stuffers for Seniors event is returning to London Drugs in Grande Prairie. The local branch is supporting 17 senior homes and roughly 632 residents in 2023.
Store Manager Shelly Abrey says her store has partnered with the Grande Spirit Foundation to support local seniors in and around the city this holiday season.
“I believe that it provides essential support and provides joy to our seniors who may be experiencing financial hardship.”
“Our store has been doing it for about five or six years and we usually run out of tags quite quickly,” she adds. “The program [launched] on November 12th and we’re usually out of tags by the end of November.”
Abrey says helping out is easy. She says interested individuals only need to spot a gift tag on one of the store’s two trees, shop around as normal, and purchase the gifts at the front counter.
“Once the community comes into our store they look for our Christmas trees and they’ll look for a gift tag, and the gift tag has the name of a senior, with some very specific items that they’re hoping for a Christmas gift this year.”
“So you can take the gift tag, go do some shopping, and come back with the present with the gift tag, and we package it up and organize it so that each home comes to collect their gifts for the seniors.”
According to Abrey, some hot-ticket items this year include blankets, mittens, gloves, chocolates, and cookies, which are all available in-store. The last day to purchase gift tags is December 8th, and gifts will be delivered the week before Christmas to all participating homes and seniors.
