Volunteers wrap with holiday cheer

Photo

By KATIE SEMINARA

Area volunteers put their packaging talents to good use as they wrapped gifts for the elderly.

BOARDMAN — Jenna Koontz usually gives Christmas presents in gift bags lined with tissue paper and decorated with bows to spruce them up, she said.

But during the Be a Santa to a Senior wrapping event hosted by Home Instead Senior Care, Koontz, 20, of Struthers, had to put her traditional wrapping skills to the test.

“I don’t know how to wrap this blanket,” Jenna Koontz said to her mother, Christine, and father, John.

“I’m leaving them to the wrapping,” she said, nodding toward her parents.

When Christine Koontz saw an advertisement for the wrapping event, she signed her family up to volunteer.

“We’ve been fortunate, so it’s nice to help others in need,” John Koontz said.

The Koontz family joined about 50 other volunteers in the packaging project at the Holiday Inn in Boardman on Wednesday.

“It’s nice to see that people do this for the elderly because sometimes they are forgotten and some don’t have family of their own,” Jenna Koontz said.

Home Instead provides caregivers who help keep the elderly in their homes as they grow older. The company started the gift-giving program five years ago.

Be a Santa to a Senior provides gifts to seniors who are recommended by organizations such as Visiting Nurse Association and area nursing homes.

Presents are donated by community members as a result of giving trees put out by Home Instead in numerous businesses around the Mahoning Valley during the holiday season.

“It’s really grown,” said Carol Hitchcock, owner of Home Instead, of the program.

“This year we got over 500 names, and we try to give each person four gifts. I was concerned with how the economy is, but people were generous. They’ve been unbelievable,” she said.

Fingers worked fiercely, ripping tape and cutting paper, while vocal chords were also put to use singing Christmas carols.

“This is what it’s all about,” said Hitchcock above the sound of “Jingle Bells” coming from the group of wrappers and a guest Santa’s sleigh bells.

The feeling of the Christmas spirit was in the air, and numerous related agencies joined in the wrapping effort.

“I’m just returning the favor,” said Kay Lavelle, coordinator for Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office Senior Services.

Home Instead helped the senior services during the delivery of Thanksgiving meals, said Lavelle, who was at the gift-wrapping event to show her gratitude and support of the program.

“I’m truly amazed at the generosity of people and the camaraderie between agencies,” she said.

Gifts from blankets to Ohio State University gear, toiletries and slippers were all being packaged to be delivered next week to the referred seniors.

“We always did say Christmas is for children, but at this time, the elderly are neglected,” said Pam Traino, director of Home Instead, who called the program “heartwarming.”

For more information or to volunteer for gift delivery, call (330) 729-1233. Home Instead will start delivering presents Monday.