By Rebecca Jeffris Williamson | Source |
[ED. NOTE: Buddy Rabaya is GSMOL Region 7 Manager.]
“It’s about bringing a smile to their face,” said Buddy Rabaya, president of the Santee Mobilehome Owners Action Committee, Inc. Those faces are the faces of seniors that reside in mobile home parks, but the campaign to collect Christmas presents for seniors is also open to other Santee seniors.
“We want them to feel like someone cares,” Rabaya continued, “We may be their only guest during the holidays.” The Christmas presents, or special care packages, will be delivered to all seniors who signed up or had someone sign them up.
“This is our first year,” explained Rabaya. A segment on giving on TV’s The Ellen DeGeneres Show that he saw inspired the holiday collection drive. While the idea came from DeGeneres Rabaya is the force behind putting this SMOAC Elves: Adopt-A-Senior for the Holidays program together.
Rabaya has also pulled together a number of volunteers and organizations to pull off the collection of necessities to give to the seniors. Visit the donation sites such as the Santee Library, Cameron Family YMCA, Santee Chamber, Papa John’s Pizza on Cuyamaca to locate boxes. Note that boxes for other donation drives might already be in place for the Santee Santas or other organizations. Verify which box belongs to what group but they are supposed to be rotated. More locations will be forthcoming for the SMOAC effort.
Rabaya suggests donations of socks, small blankets, toiletries, and other practical items such as toothbrushes, pet food, laundry detergent, lotions, and more. Other donations such as money orders to buy products can also be sent to the organization. There are currently 12 mobile home parks in Santee.
Rabaya’s idea has pulled together volunteers from the mobile home parks to help deliver the gifts, other local volunteers, and the Girl Scout Pack #5208 who are preparing personalized Christmas cards.
A wish list form can be filled out and sent via e-mail, mail, or call. Also on their website www.smoac.org is the wish list form that asks for the senior’s address, e-mail if they have one, designate male or female, and if there is a morning or evening delivery preference.
“We have a lot of members who are in their 80’s-90’s and single,” said Rabaya. Other family members or friends may have already passed which can mean further social isolation.
The deliveries will take place the week of Dec. 16. Contact SMOAC to assist with the deliveries.
