For the fourth straight year, community members and local businesses adopted seniors living at Warm Hearth Village (WHV) through the Warm Hearth Foundation’s Silver Santa program. The Silver Santa program benefits village residents who rely on low, fixed monthly incomes or who receive housing or healthcare subsidies from WHV. This year the program received 150 applications and everyone who applied was served. Community partners include: LewisGale Hospital-Montgomery, Hethwood Market, Inorganic Ventures, Blacksburg United Methodist Preschool, Blacksburg High School Cross Country and Track, several Virginia Tech offices along with Warm Hearth employees and individuals from throughout the community.
Wish lists are completed in the summer and shoppers are always humbled to see that they consist mainly of everyday necessities. These seniors ask for food, personal care and pet supplies and maybe a special wish item. This year’s wish lists ranged from sweaters/tops, pajamas, gloves/hats/scarves to special food to meet their pet’s restricted dietary needs. The sleigh-load of gifts arrived at the Warm Hearth Foundation December 12th and then the WHV team of elves, including residents and employees worked to deliver the gifts door-to-door the same week. The Foundation estimates more than $15,000 in donated items were distributed for the holidays.
“As we delivered the gifts, we could see the joy on residents’ faces and we heard how much this program means to them,” said Karen Nelson, WHV Associate Director of Development. Many thanks to our donors and our delivery elves for giving people such happiness,” she added. WHV thanks everyone who has contributed to the success and longevity of the Silver Santa program. The Village is grateful to be part of such a generous community.
