MATHESON — The second annual Santa for Seniors fundraiser is coming to a close this week and will help provide over 100 residents with food for about a week.
Kim Druer, a former Black River-Matheson councillor and area resident, established the campaign last year. The initiative supported more than 80 seniors. The goal for 2023 is to help 100 people. She said after receiving donations from the community and surrounding communities, that she will be able to help a total of 103.
“The donations have been amazing this year. The public works guys that are locked out, there’s a gentleman in Matheson who had decided to do a food drive for them and they re-donated all of the food to my adopt-a-senior,” Druer said.
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“One of the supervisors from public works said if they’re back to work next year, they still want to be a part of this with me. Like those 14 guys, let me tell you, they’re amazing. Every one of them.”
Druer said she’s also received donations from local farms, a nearby Mennonite community and the Food Basics store in Porcupine, just to name a few.
“Everybody's getting two cans of soup, everybody will have everything they need to make a spaghetti dinner, there’s breakfast stuff, desserts… Local Mennonites are going to have fresh bread ready for Saturday morning, Food Basics in Porcupine set me up with hams for everybody, a farm donated ground beef for everybody, and another farm donated turnip and carrots,” she said.
“You should see the food. Oh my God, it’s amazing.”
On Friday night, a group of about 10 to 12 volunteers will be helping Druer make up the bags, which will be delivered door-to-door on Saturday, she said.
“The agricultural society very nicely let me use the basement there for the non-perishables. So, that's where we're going Friday night to make up the bags. And I'll meet everyone there who's delivering in their vehicles on Saturday morning to load up,” she said.
“My family helped deliver the bags last year, so all of these other people that have not delivered, I think there's going to be a lot of tears shed. It's going to be a great, great day to do it and the weather is supposed to be on our side, too.”
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Druer said to help give even more to the 103 seniors, she donated some of her own money to the cause.
“I won the $500 early bird last month for the hospital foundation here and I donated that to the adopt-a-senior,” she said.
The generosity from everyone has been overwhelming, Druer said.
“I was told on Friday, and this made me cry, that I'm single-handedly bringing the township back together,” she said.
“But if it means there’s a week that these seniors don't have to worry about buying food, that’s what I care about most.”