Volunteer Alexandria and Senior Services team to deliver emergency backpacks to seniors. Photo Contributed
The holiday season can be a lonely time, especially for seniors who may not have a local support system of family and friends. With this is mind, Senior Services of Alexandria came up with several community projects during Thanksgiving week which were designed to provide a sense of security and well-being. Our Meals on Wheels volunteers and partnerships with other local non-profits and businesses helped make the start of the holiday season brighter for more than 500 Alexandria residents.
SSA began the week by working with Volunteer Alexandria to deliver 80 emergency preparedness backpacks to Meals on Wheels clients, and our volunteers also shared helpful tips on how to get ready for an unexpected crisis. Thanks to the generosity of an SSA Board member, the Old Town Keller Williams Realty team was able to expand the number of complete Thanksgiving meals delivered on Tuesday to low-income families in our city. SSA was proud to be able to support this community-wide effort. And even though local government offices were closed on Thursday and Friday, SSA’s volunteers delivered a traditional holiday meal on Thursday and a special lasagna dinner on Friday to all of Alexandria’s Meals on Wheels clients. These special meals were made possible through the generosity of the Ron Bradley Foundation. The seniors also received handmade holiday greeting cards created by students from Burgundy Farm Country Day School, whose middle schoolers deliver meals on a regular basis.
All it takes are groups working together to make a difference in people’s lives during this holiday period, and all year round. If you would like to help serve Alexandria’s senior community, you can find out more about volunteering at SSA’s website: www.seniorservicesalex.org or by calling 703-836 4414 ext 10.