Seniors Secret Service Overview
Since 1985, Seniors Secret Service has been on a mission to bring cheer and joy to seniors (60+) who are alone or isolated in Calgary and surrounding area. Many seniors don’t have family or community around them and face the physical and emotional challenges of loneliness and isolation. Our year-round Cheer programs endeavor to bring them some sunshine and remind them they are not alone.
Christmas Cheer
This is our largest campaign of the year. In 2023, we anticipate 6500 seniors will receive a Christmas Cheer gift from a volunteer they have been matched with. We work with 160 different partner groups, such as senior-focused service providers and care facilities, who nominate seniors in Calgary or surrounding rural areas who they know are on their own this Christmas. They provide us with a profile, which we pass on to our volunteer Santas to help them with their shopping. Our seniors live in a range of different housing from independent living to 24-hour care facilities.
Year Round Cheer
Every month we pack Birthday Cheer gifts for thousands of seniors celebrating alone. In spring/summer, we have a Spring Cheer campaign where we deliver handwritten cards and gift cards to brighten up their day. We also have an Emergency Care program where we provide basic needs for seniors who are unexpectedly moved to hospital or care facilities. This service provides seniors with essentials such as clothing and toiletries.
Funding
We rely entirely on the generosity of caring Albertans to support our programs. We do not receive funding from the government or the United Way. We operate as lean as possible with one full time staff member and a small year round warehouse space. We are so grateful for donations – monetary or gifts in kind - that help us keep our seniors smiling.
Donation Distribution
While a lot of our focus this time of year is on our Christmas Cheer Campaign, where we deliver Christmas gifts to isolated seniors in Calgary and area, we have additional programs throughout the year. Every month we deliver birthday gifts to seniors who are otherwise alone, without family or community, through our Birthday Cheer program. We also provide Emergency Packages to seniors who are unexpectedly entering facilities and need clothing and hygiene or other personal items. For our Spring Cheer Campaign, we deliver gifts such as gift cards and handmade greeting cards to seniors. All the cheer we bring to isolated seniors throughout the year are made possible by generous donors through monetary gifts or item donations.
- A donation of $25 helps us provide a senior with a Birthday Cheer gift.
- A donation of $50 helps us provide a senior with an Emergency Kit.
- A donation of $150 helps us provide a senior with a Christmas Cheer Gift.
We are grateful for the thousands of volunteers who adopted a senior over the holiday season. Every year approx. 5% of the volunteers will not return a gift for their senior, this is in addition to the seniors who are referred late and are not adopted through the regular program. We use donations to create Christmas Cheer gifts so that no one gets missed.
Thank you notes received from our seniors
- “I left that box for 3 days and then opened it - took out the presents and placed them by my little tree and discovered the chocolates, candies and chai latte. Those gifts are more than I have had accumulative over the last decade! I would have been thrilled with a CD and a box of chocolates - just saying. I can hardly wait to open the presents! I’m like a little kid itching to open my presents! Thank you. “
- “I want to take a moment to say how much I appreciate all of the beautiful gifts that you gave me this Christmas!! All of the gifts are very special to me, and were presented so nicely!!! I especially enjoyed receiving the Eddie Bauer, scarf and hat as well two pairs of warm gloves! I’m grateful for all the thought and care that went into choosing these beautiful items. Thank you, all so very much for giving me a good Christmas! Also, thank you to the little Child who drew some pictures for me and sent a message to me in my Wonderful Christmas Card! I wish all of you A Very Happy and Healthy New Year!”
- “A huge thank you for the wonderful Christmas basket delivered to me. It was so beautifully packed, with soft tissue and pretty little bags, that were a pleasure to open, and made extra special with the gifts for my cat to play with. I have never seen her so excited, and everything was so lovely, perfect for both of us, the best Christmas gift I’ve had for a long while. The hand soap is perfect for me, I love the smell. I loved the taste of new cookies, and chocolates I haven’t had before, such a treat. My cat knew instantly that there was something for her in the box. She was all over it on Christmas morning, and for a little girl of 7 yrs. now, she had a lot more spirit jumping all over the tissue and wrapping for days. So lovely. I can’t thank you enough for making our Christmas day memorable. Many, many thanks to all of you for this kind service.”
