Children, pageant queens and other volunteers visited The Pines Retirement Home this week to help bring Christmas cheer to its elderly residents.
The sitting room at The Pines, already dotted with little and large Christmas trees decorated earlier by staff from Maples FS Ltd, was the scene of some festive craftwork, as the volunteers – which included people from the Pink Ladies and Meals on Wheels – created gingerbread houses, popcorn strings and glittery silver bows.
Pamela Webster, a member of The Pines board of directors, was among the organisers of the event on Monday afternoon. “It’s a wonderful time of year,” she said. “It’s lovely to get some of the homeschoolers and pageant queens and grandmothers and friends along.”
The gathering has been held annually for 15 years.
Webster says the seniors “light up” when they get to interact with the children and other visitors.
Among the visitors was Faye Lippett from the Pink Ladies, a local charity that donated $10,000 to the retirement home this Christmas – from the proceeds of its annual and ever-popular bazaar that was held the week before.
Webster’s mother, Pat Skibinski, was also on hand to help out while visiting the island, as was Anne Kellington, who had accompanied her niece, Ashley Spencer, one of the children taking part.
Jennifer West, general manager of Meals on Wheels, along with her son Zachary West, also participated, as well as pageant queens Yolande Reid-Rhone and Vanessa Burke.
All the visitors were greeted by Bella and Georgie – the home’s two Shih Tzu therapy dogs – who were more than interested in the goings on that were happening on the large table the volunteers had turned into a mini craft workshop/gingerbread house factory.
The adorable dogs have become a fixture at the facility since they were donated five years ago when they were just seven weeks old.
Pines CEO Lynda Mitchell welcomed the afternoon of festive activities, which she said kept the residents “energised”, and gave them a chance to engage with some members of the community.
The decorations created by the volunteers, helped by the residents, will adorn the Christmas trees in the rooms of elderly occupants of the home.
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