The faithful of Saint Thomas the Apostle Parish have been busy bringing Christmas joy to their neighbors through “Be a Santa to a Senior.”
“We’ve always collected Christmas gifts for children, but a few years ago, we began helping the seniors, who are sometimes lonely and don’t have families,” said Mary Jane Kelso, the Brigantine parish’s music director and coordinator of the program. “A lot of them are forgotten over the holidays.”
For the last six years, the parish has partnered with Home Instead, a nonprofit based in Somers Point that serves senior citizens and their families in Atlantic and Cape May counties.
When the first weekend of Advent arrived this year, and the parish displayed its annual Giving Tree, eager faithful grabbed its tags that shared seniors’ Christmas wish lists. Soon, the 60-plus wrapped gifts of slippers, socks, hand lotion, towels, candy, blankets and more piled up in Kelso’s office.
“This is a small parish, but my gosh, these people do give,” she said with a laugh.
Every year, Home Instead connects Saint Thomas the Apostle Parish with a different local organization helping seniors, building a bridge between the parish and other care programs. This year, the gifts will go to clients of Cape-Atlantic Contact, which provides reassurance and supports for older adults and people with disabilities with compassionate phone call check-ins.
“I am so grateful for the generosity of the community of Saint Thomas,” said Sangeeta Appel, owner of Home Instead of Somers Point, noting that when she learned from Kelso that the demand for giving was greater than the tags on the tree, she dropped off more tags.
On Dec. 12, she and her staff visited the parish and filled two SUVs full of gifts, which will bring glad tidings to 65 seniors.
“I’m overwhelmed by how enthusiastic the parishioners are. This program lets seniors know that they’re important and part of the community,” Appel said.
Happy to transport these gifts to Cape-Atlantic Contact, she joked that she was also glad “to clean up Mary Jane’s office.”
Kelso said the program allows seniors to recognize “the little angels on their shoulders” not too far away. “When these seniors receive the gifts, they see that people who they aren’t even aware of care about them, and are giving them hope and love.”
Father Edward Maher, parish pastor, praised the work of his community to be a light for others in these days that can be isolating for many. “When there is a genuine need, they come through; they’re extremely generous. We’re showing the seniors that we care.”
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