“Adopt a Grandparent” Shows Elderly They Are Not Alone
By Greg Ritchie
Messenger Reporter
HOUSTON COUNTY – For the last eight years, Brenda Owens has been preparing gift bags for the elderly who are served by Houston County SHARE and the Meals on Wheels program. She is hoping the community will again rally to the cause and donate needed items to those who cannot get out much and have limited human contact.
“Adopt a Grandparent” started when Owens overheard some of the Meals on Wheels employees speaking about how lonely many of the recipients were – some having no other human contact than their meal delivery and an occasional phone call. Owens had been thinking of a way of giving back to her community and decided to create gift bags for the holidays with personalized cards made by local students, hand decorated cookies and lots of useful things we may take for granted, which will help them in their daily lives and in the cold months ahead.
Owens said these programs help keep homebound elderly people in contact with the wider world and in touch with both the holiday and the community spirit.
The program plans to send out approximately 150 gift bags to be delivered through the Meals on Wheels program or be passed out by Houston County SHARE to older neighbors taking care of smaller children.
“That was the flip-side to the program – to help kids think beyond themselves to the need of others in the community,” Owens explained. “We want to help the kids to not be so focused on ‘me.’ The kids decorate the gift bags and write and decorate a Christmas card. We also put the names of the businesses who helped, so they know who in the community cared enough to provide these gifts for them.”
Owens is asking for donations of useful items and even money to help make this Christmas a little merrier for some of our local residents. The items vary from year to year, depending on what is donated. Examples of items given in the past which are always useful include:
– Knit Stocking Hat
– gloves
– thermal socks
– neck scarf
– blanket
– hand lotion
– lip balm
– postage stamps
– envelopes
– 16oz Summer Sausage
– Gourmet Crackers
– Christmas ornament
– writing pen
– candy cane
– hand-decorated cookies
- Christmas card with hand-written greeting from a child
- Handheld flashlights with extra batteries
- Writing tablets
- Magnifying glasses
Many people and entities in Houston County contribute to the drive and Owens is grateful for the people and associations which help make the project possible.
“It’s an opportunity for businesses, individuals, Sunday School classes and civic organizations to help our homebound neighbors know they are not forgotten during the holidays,” Owens said. “Every penny of every donation is used for gift items.”
The deadline for donations is Dec. 15, with the items to be prepared and distributed a couple of days later. For more information, Brenda Owens can be reached at (936) 222-9781. Checks can be mailed to:
AAG c/o Brenda Owens
2016 CR 1865N
Grapeland, Tx 75844
Greg Ritchie can be reached at [email protected]
