Helping to spread the news about the launch of the Lloydminster and District Co-op’s Spread a Little Love for Christmas program at the Lloyd Co-op Marketplace on Nov. 1 were Co-op reps Peter Brown, CEO, left, and Emelie Currie, director of marketing with the Olive Tree, partners reps, Jana Thompson, COO and Kimberly Steier, marketing manager. Geoff Lee Meridian Source
The spreading of Christmas cheer to Lloydminster and area seniors is on a roll.
Lloydminster and District Co-op has kicked off its ninth Spread a Little Love campaign with partners to provide gifts for more than 900 seniors.
“It’s continuing to grow and we’re very excited about that,” said Co-op CEO Peter Brown.
“Maybe in our 10th year, we’ll be over 1,000. That would be awesome.”
Brown expects all Christmas trees at the company’s grocery stores or gas bars will soon be bare of ornaments conveying gift wishes collected from area seniors.
“It goes like crazy. These trees get cleaned up so quickly. It doesn’t take long,” said Brown with the campaign ending on Nov. 24.
“The response from the community is amazing.”
Co-op customers simply choose an ornament from the tree, purchase the gift request and bring it back to any participating Co-op location for wrapping and delivery prior to Christmas day.
This year’s launch took place at the Co-op marketplace on Nov.1 with Brown talking about what it means to be involved.
“It feels so good to be a part of it and to be a catalyst in the community to get something like this going and give back to our seniors,” he said.
Spread a Little Love currently provides Christmas gifts to seniors residing in 19 unique locations across six communities.
This includes five local seniors’ complexes served by The Olive Tree that hopped on board with the Co-op in 2021.
“This year, we have 270 seniors involved,” said Olive Tree COO, Jana Thompson.
“It was a huge turnout this year through all of our long-term care seniors buildings so there’s five of those participating and other seniors through outreach programs,” said Thompson.
She thinks Spread a Little Love is almost becoming a Christmas tradition for many local residents looking to give back.
“It’s a great way to get people involved in a small way. Sometimes, those small acts of kindness do make the biggest impact, especially for someone who may be alone in the holiday season,” said Thompson.
She says outreach workers also find delivering the gifts to seniors to be personally rewarding for them.
“Our outreach workers really love that part of it. They get to go into each of the homes and distribute them and just see the bright joy on their faces as they get that little Christmas gift,” said Thompson.
They deliver to Padua Place, Hallsholme, Southridge Manor, Fellowship Village, and Knox Manor in Lloydminster prior to Christmas day.
Additional area centres in the Co-op program include Dr. Cooke Extended Care Centre, Dr. Hemstock, Hearthstone Place, Jubilee Home, Lloydminster Continuing Care Centre, Manitou Housing, Southview Manor, Paradise Hill Care Home, Pine Island Lodge, Pioneer Lodge, Pioneer House, Points West Living, Tighnduin Home and Lloydminster Metis Housing Authority.
