Kendra Shot is the organizer of Santas for Seniors Queens County. (Rick Conrad)

UPDATED DEC. 4, 10:30 A.M.

Even though the Canada Post strike is continuing, the organizer of Santas for Seniors Queens County says seniors will still get their gifts in time for Christmas.

In previous years, organizer Kendra Shot has mailed out the cards. But this year, she says that she and some other women will hand deliver more than 300 envelopes with gift cards to seniors around Queens County.

“We’re going to make sure they get out before Christmas because I know a lot of seniors wait for this to help with their Christmas dinners,” Shot told QCCR.

On Tuesday, Shot got some great news that somebody wanted to adopt 50 seniors.

“I’m feeling very, very happy about it because last year at this time, we had to add another week to get all the seniors adopted and by the looks of it, I’m praying we’ll have everybody adopted by Friday.”

Later on Tuesday, Shot announced on the Santas for Seniors Facebook group that all 337 seniors have been adopted.

This is the fifth year for the volunteer-led program, which helps low-income people 55 and over celebrate Christmas. 

Anyone could nominate a senior, or seniors could nominate themselves. They gave Shot the person’s full name, age and mailing address. People told Shot what they’d like, whether that’s a gift card for groceries, gas or other goods.

All nominees are anonymously posted to the Santas for Seniors Queens County Facebook group. And then people adopt as many seniors as they’d like.

Donors buy a holiday greeting card and include the requested gift cards. They put a stamp on the front of the envelope and the number of the senior on the back. People can drop them off at three locations in Queens County – Exit Realty or Route 3 Cellar Taproom and Grill in Liverpool, or Stew’s Corner Convenience and Gas in Greenfield.

Over the past four years, more than 1,200 seniors in Queens County have been adopted.

Shot said despite people feeling the pinch this year, they’ve still found a way to contribute. 

“I’ve noticed even with the people adopting this year, they can’t do as much as they’ve done in previous years, but they want to help,” Shot says.

“This kind of puts a jump start in my step, because I’ve got my Christmas shopping done, my cookies done, my baking, and the presents wrapped. It puts a little fire in me to get up and get going, but now I do get to sit back and relax.”

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

Listen to the audio version of this story below

Kendra Shot is the organizer of Santas for Seniors Queens County. (Rick Conrad)

The organizer of a local program that helps seniors over the holidays is hoping for a little Christmas magic this year.

Santas for Seniors Queens County connects low-income seniors with others who want to help them have a good holiday. And it relies on Canada Post to help make it happen. 

Organizer Kendra Shot says this year, she’s worried about how the postal strike may affect the festive fundraiser.

“I’m hoping by the end of the week that maybe they come to some terms and settle this strike. I will put them in the mail but there’s no way we can hand deliver because we have mailing addresses for the seniors, and not home addresses.”

This is the fifth year for Santas for Seniors Queens County. Since it began, it’s helped hundreds of Queens County seniors each year.

Anyone can nominate a senior, or seniors can nominate themselves. People tell Shot what they’d like, whether that’s a gift card for groceries, gas or other goods.

All nominees are anonymously posted to the Santas for Seniors Queens County Facebook group. If you want to add any Queens County senior to the list, contact Shot with the person’s full name, age and full mailing address.

“55 and over, low income, need a little extra help this winter. That’s what we’re here for,” Shot says.

“You adopt your senior, buy a holiday card, buy your gift card, there’s one or two usually listed per senior, you don’t have to buy both of them. Put it in your holiday card, seal it, on the back of your card write your number, on the front of the card, place a stamp.”

Completed cards can be dropped off at Exit Realty or Route 3 Cellar Taproom and Grill, both in Liverpool, or at Stew’s Corner Convenience and Gas in Greenfield. 

Shot says she’s seeing more seniors from Greenfield and Caledonia participating this year.

As of Tuesday, 328 seniors are signed up, with 158 adopted so far. Last year, a little more than 300 took part.

Seniors can be nominated until Dec. 1. Shot says all cards need to be dropped off by Dec. 15 so that she can mail them out in time for Christmas.

“Basically 90 per cent of the people that are nominated do not even know that they’re nominated. So, they’re going to get a card in the mail from a complete stranger with a little extra help. There’s no set denomination for amounts. We’re all feeling the crunch of the increased prices it’s more so the thought that counts.”

Shot and her volunteers used to collect gifts from donors and deliver gift bags to as many as 400 seniors. She said they changed it to gift cards during Covid.

They also used to work with local service organizations and other groups to identify seniors in need, but because of confidentiality rules, they had to stop doing that.

Despite that, more than 1,200 Queens County seniors have been adopted in the past five years. 

“It makes me feel good because No. 1, to give back is the best feeling at Christmas for me. Gifts aren’t Christmas, it’s how you actually make somebody feel.”

This year, Shot says she’d also like to get more businesses involved in the fundraiser. The managers at White Point Beach Resort got together and adopted 12 seniors.

If you want to be nominated or if you want to nominate somebody else, message Kendra Shot on Facebook, or call her at 902-646-0265 or email her at kendra_shot@hotmail.com.

And if you want to “adopt” a senior, check out the Santas for Seniors Queens County Facebook group.

“We’ll get them all adopted, we do every year, and put some smiles on seniors’ faces.”

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

Listen to the audio version of this story below

Shelley Walker is Queens County’s senior safety co-ordinator. (Rick Conrad)

UPDATED WED., NOV. 13, 12:27 P.M.

Queens County will be getting a full-time senior safety co-ordinator.

In their first meeting since the Oct. 19 election, Region of Queens councillors voted Tuesday to fund five-day-a-week senior safety services in Queens.

Representatives of Queens Care Society asked council in August to consider making the senior safety co-ordinator a full-time employee of the region.

In their August presentation to council, representatives from the non-profit society said they couldn’t afford to make the job full time. The group receives a $25,000 grant from the Nova Scotia government, as well as $5,000 from the Region of Queens. 

Shelley Walker, the current co-ordinator, works three days a week. But advocates say the job should be full time because Walker can help only a fraction of the seniors in need.

The co-ordinator helps promote senior health, safety and independence, working with older residents to help them stay in their own homes. 

Councillors voted Tuesday to provide up to $35,000 in funding to Lunenburg County Home Support to make the job full time until Oct. 31, 2025.

Coun. Maddie Charlton said she expects Queens Care Society to return to council before then to seek longer-term funding.

“I think that they would like an opportunity to see just how it fares out,” Charlton told council.

“It’s my understanding that the group is happy with this for now for the year. … I’m happy to support this now. They do need the increased funding to make sure we have that capacity.”

Society chairman Grant Webber told councillors in August that as a part-timer, Walker can help only 7.5 per cent of the 3,300 Queens County residents over 65.

In August, he asked the region to create a full-time senior safety position at a salary of $53,000 plus benefits, travel expenses and office space. 

Webber told QCCR on Wednesday that he’s pleased the municipality OKed the funding.

“I think it’s a wonderful decision. We’ve got some things to work out and get an agreement with the municipality,” he said.

“We’re very pleased and we’re hoping that the municipality will take over full funding of the senior safety program, because with the funding from the municipality and the (provincial) grant, we’ll have a senior safety co-ordinator here for five days a week.”

He said other Nova Scotia municipalities have full-time co-ordinators and he hopes Queens will follow suit.

In an October staff report, councillors were told that historically, the co-ordinator focused on senior safety three days a week. For the rest of the week, she worked as a supervisor for Queens Home Support.

Financial difficulties forced Queens Home Support to close earlier this year. Lunenburg County Home Support now looks after those services in Queens. 

According to the October staff report, the year-long funding will give the Region of Queens and the Lunenburg group time to assess the service. 

On Tuesday, Queens CAO Cody Joudry assured councillors and the public that the co-ordinator will still be based in Queens County.

“There’s never been any discussion whatsoever about the idea that that position would be based in Lunenburg.”

In response to a question from Coun. Stewart Jenkins, Joudry said the region hasn’t yet analyzed how much it would cost to make the co-ordinator a municipal employee.

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

Listen to the audio version of this story below

Shelley Walker is Queens County’s senior safety co-ordinator. (Rick Conrad)

Almost 200 people turned out on Thursday at the Best Western Plus in Liverpool for the 2024 Senior Safety Spring Expo and Fair.

It featured almost 40 exhibitors with information about things such as housing, health care and senior safety as well as products and services available for older adults.

QCCR spoke to organizer Shelley Walker, the senior safety co-ordinator for Queens, and to one of the exhibitors, Janet Carver, the manager of community programs in palliative care for western Nova Scotia.

You can follow the Queens County Seniors Safety Association on Facebook.

Listen to the story below