Kids card-making workshop for Walbridge Wing residents Dec. 13
MEEKER | Socks for Christmas? When you’re a kid, finding new socks under the tree can feel like a Christmas gyp. But the older (and wiser) you get, the more appreciative you become of the comfort and simple pleasure a new pair of socks can bring.
That’s the idea behind Mountain Valley Bank’s “Socks for Seniors” drive this month. Customer service representative and teller Andrea Kahlig came up with the idea as a way to give back to the community. Last year the bank hosted a cake raffle and donated the funds raised to the local Veterans of Foreign Wars organization. When she mentioned the idea of a “socks for seniors” drive to her husband, who works at the Walbridge Wing at Pioneers Medical Center, she was surprised to learn that there’s a national Socks for Seniors program.
“I didn’t know it was an actual thing,” Kahlig said. Since 2002, families and communities throughout the U.S. have gotten involved in “Socks for Seniors,” supplying new socks to senior citizens.
The all-volunteer organization encourages the donation of “fun” socks, not just traditional tube socks or grip socks, although those are also welcome. A 91-year-old nursing home resident who received a pair of bright-colored, striped, individual toe socks is quoted as saying, “We’re just old, not dead, and we still have a sense of humor.”
Fun and funny socks for men and women abound in stores and online this time of year. Pick up a pair that strikes your fancy and drop them off at Mountain Valley Bank anytime between now and Dec. 18. There are 28 residents at the Wing currently, seven men and 21 women.
In Meeker, folks who bring in a pair of new socks or $5 cash for the sock drive will be entered into a drawing. At the end of the open house on Dec. 18, the winner of the drawing will receive a special customer appreciation basket.
“The concept for our open house is centered around the spirit of Christmas. We look for something that is a culmination of community, giving and sharing the spirit,” said Meeker Market President Tawny Halandras. “This particular project fit because it allows our employees to give their time and donate socks and supplies. Their dedication and effort produces an entire event that brings holiday cheer to the Walbridge Wing with socks and cards.”
Additionally, on Friday, Dec. 13, kids also have a chance to spread Christmas cheer with a card-making workshop. All children who visit the bank between 2-4 p.m. can share their holiday greetings for the Wing residents with a personalized Christmas card. Mountain Valley Bank will provide all the supplies for the card-making.
Special to the Herald Times
