This time of year is truly magical.

December is a special month for us at SKIP and right on schedule, the weather has gifted us with the first delights of the season; setting the scene for the wonders that are to come.  It would be difficult not to acknowledge that the holiday season is going to look different for many of us this year.  As provincial and municipal restrictions increase, many of us will be planning for smaller gatherings with members of our households.  For those of us who are used to attending annual holiday parties with friends and co-workers or for those of us who typically play host to relatives from far away, this holiday season might bring on feelings usually not associated with this time of year. Feelings of loneliness, sadness or dread.  This year will be the first year that I will not be travelling home to visit my family living in the Ottawa Valley region of Ontario.  My mom, who is a senior and a caregiver to both her immune compromised sister and also to a husband on chemotherapy, is heartbroken not to be able to gather with her four children and three grandchildren this year. I am equally as heartbroken.  I know that we are not the only ones. Thousands of Canadian families will be feeling the strain this year, as will millions of families world-wide.

Here at SKIP, we know the loneliness that isolation can bring. In fact, finding ways to raise awareness about seniors living in isolation and providing hope to those experiencing loneliness has been at the very heart and foundation of the organization.  Long before the onset of the global pandemic, battling the negative effects of isolation has been the biggest part of our focus and mission.  The restrictions associated with Covid-19 have meant that we have changed the way we are bringing students and seniors together. Though our programs look a little different, the spirit behind them is the same.

For example, this month, SKIP has partnered with local businesses as well as schools to create seasonal inspired wellness kits for seniors. These special gift bags filled with goodies like personal care products, meal kits and activity booklets that are lovingly put together by students and supported by faculty in our community.  Included in these gift bags are personalized cards made by the students with special messages for seniors.

Other initiatives like “Project Discharge” aim to provide wellness kits to seniors who are primarily engaging with the community in health care settings. These kits will provide information about local resources that support seniors living in isolation and include goodies that will uplift and provide hope during these trying times.

SKIP plans to enhance and further develop our programs that connect seniors and kids through technology like “SKIP Streams” and “SKIP into Technology” in which students act as teachers; supporting older adults to increase their knowledge of the technology that can help them connect to others.  The technology that enables us to connect is such a gift during these times.

As we begin to explore the possibility of these programs and seek partnerships that can take those programs to greater levels, we remain mindful of the power of personal connection and the humanity that binds us all.  In this season, may we consider the power of our own individual gifts. May we reflect upon how we can use those gifts to serve and uplift lonely people within our own family and within our community.  A phone call, video message, card or letter means so much to a senior who is isolated and will not be able to enjoy the holiday with friends or loved ones.

If you are looking for ways to ways to explore your gifts and passion for helping others, please consider volunteering. You can find more information about opportunities by visiting www.goskip.org or by emailing info@goskip.org.

I wish you all the best that this holiday season has to bring.

With love,

Tina