Last Updated on January 21, 2024 3:57 pm
“December 2023 marked the fifth year of W.A.M.Y. Community Action’s “Santa for Seniors” gift drive. With generous support from local businesses, organizations, and individuals, WAMY successfully distributed a record number of more than 1,400 holiday gift bags to senior citizens in assisted living facilities, under hospice care, or homebound. These gifts were personally delivered by dedicated local volunteers and contained items such as blankets, puzzle books, lotion, lip balm, socks, candies, and other treats. WAMY continues to serve individuals in Watauga, Avery, Mitchell, and Yancey counties.
“During the Holiday season, it's often easy to forget about our senior citizens who are shut-in and unable to leave their homes”, stated WAMY’s Director of Development Allison Jennings. “In 2019, WAMY launched its inaugural “Santa for Seniors” project intending to ensure that our homebound senior neighbors received a gift of holiday cheer. Since then, we've managed to deliver over 4,900 gifts,” noted Jennings.
The “Santa for Seniors” project was made possible thanks to many sponsors, including The High Country Area Agency on Aging, AmeriHealth, Walmart, Mast General Store, Blowing Rock Community Foundation, UNC Health, The Rotary Club of Blowing Rock, and many other local businesses, individual donors and volunteers.
This is one of many annual service projects WAMY offers each year, but the only one that covers all four of the counties WAMY serves. “As we look forward to 2024, we're already preparing for the year’s Santa for Seniors. We remain grateful for the continued support from community partnerships and supporters. Without local assistance and volunteers, spreading joy to our senior neighbors would not be possible. We eagerly anticipate another year of helping people and changing lives,” says Jennings.
About W.A.M.Y. Community Action
W.A.M.Y., standing for Watauga, Avery, Mitchell, Yancey, is a Community Action Agency that was founded in 1964. This year, it celebrates its 60th anniversary of serving the High Country region. Notably, W.A.M.Y. was the first non-profit organization to provide human services in the four-county area of the High Country. W.A.M.Y.’s mission is to partner with families and communities to provide the disadvantaged with the support they need to become self-sufficient. W.A.M.Y. conducts a community needs assessment every three years and programs are designed according to the needs of the community. Currently, W.A.M.Y. has four programs- Youth Development, Food & Nutrition, Housing & Energy, and Total Family Development. To learn more or donate visit wamycommunityaction.org.
About Community Action Agencies
A Community Action Agency (CAA) is a local organization with the mission of reducing poverty through locally designed and delivered programs and services, targeted to the specific needs of the community. CAAs exist in virtually every county in the U.S., numbering more than 1,000 nationwide. Most are private nonprofits, but some are units of local government. They are state-designated but locally controlled, governed by a tripartite board that represents the low-income community, local elected officials, and private and public community stakeholders.
