PICKAWAY – For the last eleven years the American Red Cross in Pickaway County has gone into area nursing homes to gather Christmas Wish Lists and with the help of the community has managed to provide holiday cheer each year to the residents there. Six of those years Wesbanco in Circleville has been the central collection for the area. There were 317 seniors in need in 5 different nursing homes in the Pickaway County area.
Red Cross mission statement, “To provide holiday cheer to area seniors in nursing homes with the help of the nursing homes’ Activities Directors. We will accomplish this through the support of the community in Pickaway County. Any and all donations will remain in Pickaway County to serve our local community.”
“Through the Giving Tree Donation we were able to fill all the wish lists of the seniors this year and a little extra. We received extra donations of Blankets, body wash, stuff animals, and baby dolls. People donated books so we will separate them out and send them to the homes for the seniors as extras,” said Missi Rhodes representative of leadership council for the Red Cross and Wesbanco.
“This charity was created from a red cross volunteer in the Pickaway area 11 years ago. I’m not sure what made her do this but she saw a need in the nursing homes to do this and every year this has grown into something amazing,” said Rod Cook executive Director for Red Cross.
Volunteers go to local nursing homes and gather wish lists from residents. Mostly on the lists are simple tolietries and self care products, demonstrating the needs of the seniors. The Red Cross then places Christmas Trees in local area business with these lists for patrons to grab to fulfill the donation.
Jennifer Chambers and Missi Rhodes representatives of leadership council for the Red Cross said,”We love this project. Its become a tradition and what better way to celebrate the holidays! We celebrate by giving and loving and wanting these seniors to know they are remembered.”
On Tuesday December 18th Kids from Logan Elm Key Club helped sort, assemble and deliver the bags to the 5 nursing home locations in the Pickaway County area.
“The seniors love this, they have been looking forward to this for the last month. We have several residents that do not have any family or ones that do not visit, to get these gifts makes the whole day for them. We have Santa come in and he gives out the gifts to everyone its quite a event here,” said Angela Yates Genesis Healthcare.
Local businesses that made this happen
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- Ashville IGA, 300 Long Street, Ashville
- Crossroads Church, 5679 Tarlton Road, Circleville
- Kingston Bank, 5101 S. Union Street, South Bloomfield
- Pickaway County Library, 1160 North Court Street, Circleville
- Trinity Lutheran Church, 135 East Mound Street, Circleville
- Wesbanco, 1210 North Court Street, Circleville
- Gibby’s Sports Bar, 126 W. Main St., Circleville
- Circleville Apothecary, 1200 N. Court Street, Circleville
- Ashville Apothecary, 3400 St. Rt. 752, Ashville
- Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Center, 130 Morris Road, Circleville
