Today we had our Christmas party. Santa and Mrs. Claus came and our residents opened their amazing gifts. Here are a few stories from our day:

• Our resident who really loves plushes and scary movies opened her presents and was so excited to see how personal and how thoroughly Assistance League had thought about her when selecting her gifts. She went around to every staff member to show them piece by piece what she had received, making sure we all got to see her wonderful presents.
• A family member of a recent addition to our resident family remarked to me that she worked in the industry in assisted living and had never seen such personal and thoughtful gifts for an event like this, all possible because of the amazing work of the Assistance League.
• A resident expressed to me, after receiving their present, that it was the first they had received in over a decade since the last time they’d had a Christmas with their family.
• Another resident pulled me aside to ask how on earth we knew what she wanted so well, and to tell me when we said we had presents she expected a card or something, she never imagined the amount of effort the Assistance League put into their gifts.
• A family member of a long term care resident made sure to find me and tell me before leaving that she had been so concerned about her dad, but seeing him come out and engaging in the community during the event and seeing how much effort had been put into the gifts she was so appreciative and inquired about the Assistance League and recognized the store location as we talked, and had nothing but positive and grateful things to say for the work you’re doing for our community. Thank you Assistance League of Bellingham!

It really was an incredible thing –  the wonderful people on Assistance League’s shopping teams for our residents here and they are so unbelievably grateful as am I.

Merry Christmas to you and yours, thank you so much again.

Kara Mangum
Recreation Director
Avalon Health Care Bellingham