This is a tough time for seniors who are in isolation and can’t see their loved ones in person.
Eric Fournier, a sales rep with Re/Max Affiliates Realty in the Embrun, Ont. office, has a grandmother who is in a long-term facility.
Eric Fournier
“Personally, it touches me. I can’t see my grandmother. And it’s been several months. It made me think,” Fournier told Radio Canada.
He and his wife Pascale created a social media initiative, in which seniors in two long-term care homes wrote greeting cards. Fournier then sent the cards to people who responded to his social media messages, who then purchased gifts for the seniors.
“I thought it was going to take a few weeks to get all these gifts. But no, within a week, all our cards were gone,” says Fournier.
The Fourniers plan to repeat the initiative next year, and hopefully add more homes.
Natasha Stanzel
Natasha Stanzel from Re/Max Affiliates Realty’s Orleans office created two Facebook groups. The first – A Community Christmas – was to support the Orleans-Cumberland Community Resource Centre. She collected non-perishable food items and toiletries, gift cards and cash donations to assist the centre with its various programs. The initiative collected 335 items for the food bank, $750 for the Angel Tree program and $1,250 to sponsor and support families in the community.
In May, Stanzel created the Adopt a 2020 High School Grad – Orleans page.
“This is a very stressful time for our young people. Cancelled proms, garden parties, end of the year festivities, postponed graduations,” wrote Stanzel. “All of the milestones that come with growing up, taken by a global pandemic. They will remember many things about this time in their lives, let’s get together and make sure they have amazing things to remember!”
The site encouraged people to “adopt a graduate or two or more! Send them a letter, a card, a gift card, a present or some snacks. Make them a video, post their successes, share your pride. Let’s do everything and anything to let them know we are rooting for them!”
Several of the “adopted” grads shared their gifts and thanks on the site.
