M Street neighbor Lori Daniels started a gift drive for needy seniors 10 years ago.
Christmas is all about kids and with good reason — nothing makes the season brighter than a child’s eyes aglow with wonder at the sparkling lights and potential for presents. Our neighborhood always gives back in a big way with toy drives to ensure all kids can have some holiday joy. But one neighbor spends the season spreading cheer to a sometimes-overlooked segment of our society: seniors.
“Every nursing home has a Christmas party but these seniors would sit there and get nothing if we didn’t give them gifts,” says Lori Daniels, a longtime volunteer for Senior Source, which helps with everything from job placement skills for those still in the workforce, to money management for those on a fixed income.
A decade ago, Daniels heard that some Senior Source clients with no family would likely be without any presents at Christmas. With the help of other volunteers and some of her M Street neighbors, she adopted 10 seniors and filled their holiday wishes. Case managers get specific requests from their clients, many of which are incredibly simple.
Some of the 200 gifts collected for Senior Source.
“One man always asks for a six-pack of Dr. Pepper and a pound of fudge,” Daniels says, adding that any little luxury is appreciated. “Most of these people are on Medicaid and have about $60 a month in spending money.”
This year, Daniels collected more than 200 gifts from “senior angels” who agree to fill the wish of someone who might not otherwise have a very Merry Christmas.
“We adopted an entire nursing home, all 64 people,” she says of Monarch Pavilion in Oak Cliff.
Some of the 200 gifts collected for Senior Source.
Daniels puts out the call for “senior angels” starting in October, so those who want to help next year can keep an eye out for that in the Advocate. She always hosts a cocktail party for the donors to collect the gifts and thank them for their contribution. And while gifts at Christmas are always nice, Daniels says seniors are in need year-round. Senior Source is always on the look out for volunteers who can help in any way, even if it’s just for a visit or trip to the grocery store.
“When they don’t have anybody, there’s no way they could make it,” Daniels says. “Sometimes what we do allows them to keep their independence.”
