Since last September, West Berlin resident Vicky Olson has put together gifts for seniors at ManorCare around holidays, including Easter, Mother’s and Father’s Day and Thanksgiving.
For the second consecutive year, Olson is continuing the tradition and is collecting items to make stockings for seniors at ManorCare in Voorhees and Taunton Run Village in Berlin. She has coined her organization as Sonshine and Smiles, a nod to her work with Hope Church in Voorhees and a reminder that she seeks to share God’s love.
While Olson previously organized and donated 113 stockings, this year, she hopes to expand her efforts and create 250 stockings for residents at ManorCare and Taunton Run. When asked why she decided to expand, Olson responded, “ManorCare is a great facility and there’s a lot of residents there, but there are also so many more seniors who are lonely, who don’t have family and need a boost. Morale is still fairly low because they can’t get out and about as they’d like to.”
Stockings will include lip balm, lotion, socks (fuzzy or festive), scented liquid soap, deodorant or body spray, aftershave or cosmetics, tissues, a puzzle book, a pen or a pencil, ornaments or a small soft toy, small games like dominoes, chess or puzzles, two hot chocolate packets and sugar free or regular candy at the top of the stocking.
Those interested in getting involved can do so through creating and donating completed stockings, donating any of the items listed above, or making monetary donations through Paypal at sonshineandsmiles2020@gmail.com. People can also write Christmas cards to go with the stockings.
There are currently four drop off locations located throughout Camden County:
- Hope Church, 700 Cooper Road, Voorhees
- Sapphire Salon 1424 Marlton PIke East, Cherry Hill
- Primo Water Ice 484 East. Evesham Road, Cherry Hill in the Short Hills Shopping Center
- Front Porch of 128 E. Taunton Ave, West Berlin, NJ
Donations are being collected from now until Dec. 16.
For more information and for businesses interested in having a donation box, contact Vicky Olson at 856-796-0236 or email sonshineandsmiles2020@gmail.com.
