Operation Christmas CHEER seeks volunteers
Operation Christmas CHEER 2017 provides an opportunity for individuals, organizations and businesses to support a worthwhile project and help hundreds of senior citizens in Sussex County have a merry Christmas Day, Monday, Dec. 25.
The CHEER Nutrition Program has conducted Operation Christmas CHEER for the last 25 years, and each year the project gets bigger.
The project includes a hot Christmas Day meal and small fruit basket given to seniors ages 50 and over who need a meal and do not have family that will be with them on the holiday itself. The traditional roast turkey dinner with all the trimmings is delivered to seniors between 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., Christmas Day by volunteers who are willing to share their holiday with a senior. Approximately 250 meals were delivered on Christmas Day 2016 at an average cost of $5 per meal.
This is an excellent opportunity to share part of the holiday with a senior and teach children or grandchildren the gift of giving their time to someone less fortunate. Along with the meal, a wrapped Christmas gift is given to the senior. This may be the only gift they receive this Christmas. Food baskets are also distributed to seniors who are economically disadvantaged and cannot afford to buy adequate food. Plus, CHEER doesn't forget the seniors' furry friends. It is not uncommon for home-bound seniors to share half of their delivered meals with their pets because they cannot afford pet food.
A CHEER Christmas tree is set up at Kmart in Rehoboth with decorated tags describing the Christmas wishes of seniors. Volunteers are asked to take a tag and buy the wished-for item for the senior.
Another CHEER tree is decorated at County Bank in Long Neck, and a sleigh is at Meineke Car Care Center in Lewes for donations of generic gifts for seniors.
Mary Kay beauty consultant Karen Adams is encouraging her customers to donate beauty kits for seniors. Her goal is to exceed the 100 gift bags her customers donated last year.
Georgetown Presbyterian Church is again adopting five seniors and will provide them with wrapped gifts.
New this year is the participation of area McDonald's stores. Franchise owner Mike Meoli is encouraging his staff members to donate a gift for a senior and drop it at boxes located at area McDonald's stores. CHEER will see that the gifts are distributed Christmas Day.
Who can spare a couple hours on Christmas Day to bring a smile to a senior's face when their meal is delivered? People can donate gifts or canned goods for the food baskets or pet food for dogs and cats. Perhaps local organizations would like to adopt a senior. Anyone who can help or who can donate toward meals for seniors can call Florence Mason at 302-515-3045.
A one-time gift of $5 will sponsor a meal. A gift of $100 will sponsor a meal every day for a month to a senior who is homebound. Community members are also asked to support the businesses and organizations that help take care of Sussex County's seniors. Merry Christmas.
