Celebrating Kindness

SEEING THE KINDNESS

For ElderHelp’s Director of Outreach and Community Engagement, Carrie McClellan, Holiday Angels is a family affair. “My favorite part about Holiday Angels is the feeling that the program brings—for our clients who receive a special gift reminding them that they are part of our ElderHelp family—and for our staff, volunteers and community partners who support the program–sharing hope, gratitude and joy with our clients during the holiday season.

I coordinate individuals and groups who share their time and talent by making cards. These cards are inserted into the poinsettia plant as part of the display, with a decorative picture on the front–but perhaps the most important part is the message inside. We often hear from our clients that they keep these cards for months to enjoy well into the New Year! We are grateful to the schools, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, corporations, organizations, and others who make cards to share with our clients. There are some very creative individuals in our community and beyond.”

For Carrie, it also gets personal, “The past years have been especially fun because my two kids help me go through some of the cards before we send them to our clients. They really enjoy the artwork and the jokes that some individuals include. Now they come to the morning event and help at our activity tables. Involving them in the process teaches them about the importance of giving without expecting anything in return. They get to see the kindness in our community, and that’s a value I hope they always carry forward.”