Local Home Hardware donates 130 quilts to long-term care

Written By Paula Brown

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Seniors at a local long-term care home will be given the gift of a warm embrace this holiday season following a donation from Shelburne Home Hardware. 

The business presented Dufferin Oaks Long Term Care Home with 130 donated quilts, last Thursday (Dec. 9), as part of the long term care homes Be A Santa To A Senior program. 

Bill Gillam, owner of Shelburne Home Hardware, told the Free Press that the donation of quilts was inspired by the kindness of one of their customers, who after winning a $500 prize from their annual Ladies Night event, chose to buy gifts on behalf of Dufferin Oaks for the senior program. 

“It's one of those things that you do extra for when it comes along, to step it up and do it,” said Gilliam. “Having my own parents and grandparents go through the nursing home and residence program, I know that it can be chilly and cold in there sometimes. It's always nice to have a quilt and it's nice to have something you can say is your own.”

Be A Santa To A Senior is an annual program run by Dufferin Oaks. The goal of the program is to provide every resident in the local long term care home with a special gift to open on Christmas morning; collected through donations and shopping. 

“[Home Hardware's] donation was really above and beyond, it was fantastic,” said Angie Matthews, program and support services manager for Dufferin Oaks.

Matthews noted the significance of the quilt donation for the seniors, especially with the difficulties they've experience from the pandemic over the past 21 months. 

“Our residents haven't had the same amount of community involvement, and visitors because they're so vulnerable,” said Matthews. “To receive a donation like this is amazing at any time, but especially throughout the pandemic to have something this generous to come as we're moving forward has been really nice.” 

As well as donating 130 quilt blankets to Dufferin Oaks, Shelburne Home Hardware also provided 60 red and white poinsettias to decorate the resident home with. 

“We donated poinsettias to decorate every dining table for them so they had some Christmas colors,” said Gilliam. 

“The poinsettias are already out so they're getting to enjoy them and see some of the generous donation,” said Matthews. 

With limit stock of quilts in store, many of the blankets were flown in from B.C. In total an estimated retail value of $10,000 was donated in-kind through Shelburne Home Hardware's donations to the Be A Santa To A Senior program.