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'Adopt A Grandparent' spreads Christmas cheer with volunteer visits to isolated Calgary seniors

Kathleen Jordan has grandchildren but they live on the east coast, so she often finds herself alone in Calgary at Christmas time.

That was until last year, when she received her first visit from a group of strangers delivering a Christmas stocking full of goodies, along with the gift of a little holiday companionship.

"That was a surprise, because I'm quite far from home, so it's kind of nice to have somebody drop in," Jordan recalled.

The visitors were volunteers with the Adopt A Grandparent Christmas Cheer Up, a program run by the Calgary Seniors Resource Society since 2008.

"We had a lot clients who were low-income and isolated, didn't have a lot of other Christmas things going on," volunteer services manager Annastasia Sommer-Stevens said.

"It's not about the goodies — it's really about the visit," she added. "It's about the social connection."

Volunteers often come in groups, usually members of the same family, and typically spend one to three hours visiting with their assigned senior.

Sommer-Stevens said some volunteers end up forming such strong friendships with the seniors they meet that they continue returning for regular visits for the rest of the year.

"They're wanting that connection with the older generation," she said. "They love to hear the stories and they appreciate the wisdom. The seniors just have so much to offer."

This year, the program has more than enough volunteers but could still use more financial support.

"From a donations perspective, we're definitely down from where we would normally be," Sommer-Stevens said.

For more information, visit adoptagrandparent.ca.