The Grande Prairie branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association is seeking donations for a special Christmas dinner for Willow Place residents.
According to Willow Place Property Manager Carol Carter, the CMHA puts on holiday dinners throughout the year. She says residents depend on communal dinners around the holidays as many are separated from their families.
“Because we know that they aren’t really connected with their families and stuff like that, they’re alone, so we always try to give them a home-cooked meal once in a while,” she says. “We have some turkey dinner with all the fixings to remind them of back in the day. We have a common area for them, and the Christmas tree is up.”
Carter adds that as food prices continue to rise, donations have become increasingly important for Willow Place, and donations of all kinds are welcome.
“After COVID, prices and stuff like that, it started to get harder and harder in the last couple years to find turkeys, so us being non-profit, we still have to keep looking,” she says. “It doesn’t have to be turkeys; it can be dessert or cash so we can buy things like dessert for that day.”
Additionally, Carter says 57 residents and numerous others from various disability programs in the city will attend the dinner. She says holiday dinners serve as an important reminder of good memories for residents who might have negative associations with the holiday season and are also important to their mental health.
“Through the season, most of these individuals do have something that maybe impacted them back in the day, so it can bring back memories and sharing stories of the happier times with family and friends that maybe they can’t make that connection anymore with them.”
Interested individuals are encouraged to donate in person at Willow Place or by calling (780)-814-2349 to coordinate contributions.