Grace Manor seniors enjoy a special Easter treat

Over 100 sunshine bags containing Easter treats were distributed to seniors living at The Salvation Army’s Grace Manor.

“We know that many of the residents haven’t been able to have visitors, so we thought it would be nice at Easter to spread some joy and give them something to lift their spirits,” said Brandie Howey, Divisional Manager for Marketing & Communications at The Salvation Army.

The idea of a sunshine bag is to bring a little bit of hope by gathering items that will bring a smile to someone’s face. Normally something distributed during Christmas, with it being such a turbulent year it was decided to add something special at Easter too.

A resident from Grace Manor, Betty, was grateful that she received some Easter treats in time for the holiday. When asked what her favorite item was in the bag, she responded, “I probably ate it already.” Being a lover of chocolate, Betty was happy to share that the chocolate was the first to go from the sunshine bag. Other items in the bag were crackers, chips, cookies, chocolate milk, pens, hand sanitizer, lip balm, and an Easter card from The Salvation Army staff wishing the residents a Happy Easter holiday.

“Our team has been working hard to keep our residents’ spirits lifted during these challenging times and we are so grateful for this kind gesture,” said Sarah Bartkus, Recreation Therapy Manager. “The residents were absolutely thrilled to receive their Easter sunshine bags and it was wonderful to see their faces light up.”

The bags were distributed by Grace Manor’s Recreation Therapy team door-to-door on Thursday, April 1.

The Salvation Army will continue to support the residents of Grace Manor and provide compassion and care. It is important that the well-being of the senior’s and staff stay strong as we begin to see an end to a year that has been difficult for many but extremely difficult for seniors.