If possible, please consider dropping your gift off at the Seniors Secret Service Christmas Warehouse. The address for the Christmas warehouse is 2355 52 Ave SE. Unit 37. The entrance is around back – the door beside dock #20. In addition to the warehouse, the following police stations will be accepting gift drop offs. There will be volunteers at the warehouse Friday the 26th, Saturday the 27th and Sunday the 28th from 9 am till 6pm each of these days.
You may also Drop your box off at one of the following locations, updated for 2021:
District 1: 1010 26th Avenue SE
District 2: 4506 17 Avenue SW
District 4: 3207 12 Ave NE
District 8: 450 Midpark Way SE
Spyhill Services Centre: 12500 85 Street N.W.
These are the only stations that will be able to accept your gifts. Drop off times are Nov. 26, 27, and 28 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Due to Covid restrictions we will not be able to be inside the stations, instead we will have large trucks or cube vans in the parking lots. Please bring your box to the volunteers, who will show you where to put them, depending on the parking lot each spot will be a bit different. We do ask that you wear a mask when dropping off your gift and keep a safe distance between yourself and others.
If you are ill, have been instructed to quarantine or you or anyone in your household is awaiting results from a Covid-19 test, we ask that you contact us to make alternate arrangements.
Please contact us if you are unable to drop off this weekend and we will make alternate arrangements. We need to have the gifts returned to us no later than December 4th. We have a very tight timeline this year, so we really appreciate your help getting everything in on time.
Please tape your boxes closed before dropping them off.
Volunteers Needed
We are still looking for volunteers for this weekend. Mostly at the police station drop offs. If you are interested in volunteering, the sign-up link is https://volunteersignup.org/JCCQP
Or you can contact our volunteer coordinator Judy at calgaryseniorssecretservice@gmail.com and she will get you the details.
On behalf of myself and the Board of Directors, thank you all for your tremendous support and patience this year. Because of you we will reach close to 6000 isolated seniors this Christmas!!!! We could not do this without you.
Andrea Brumwell, Executive Director, Seniors Secret Service
Santa’s Wish List
We often have seniors who are added to our list at the last minute who need gifts or have gifts that aren’t returned by the Santa. Last year we made gifts for over 300 additional seniors with items that were donated from the wish list.
Wish list items can be placed in our collection boxes at our drop off locations in their original store bags or your box – Please label as WISH LIST
Drop off locations for the 2021 season will all be outdoors. Trucks will be parked in the parking lots of the following Calgary Police Service offices from 8am till 6pm Friday November 26th, Saturday November 27th and Sunday November 28th.
District 1: 1010 26 Avenue S.E.
District 2: 4506 17 Avenue S.W.
District 4: 3207 12 Ave NE
District 8: 450 Midpark Way S.E.
Spyhill Services Centre: 12500 85 Street N.W.
Christmas Warehouse – Location TBD
Santa’s Wish List
· All types of toiletry items for men and women
· Gift cards to London Drugs
· Treats: small boxes of chocolates, candy, cookies, etc.
· Diabetic treats
· Large print puzzle books
· Jigsaw puzzles
· Items with Calgary Flames/Stampeders/Roughnecks/Blue Jays on it
· Ball caps with sports team’s logo
· Calendars
· Toiletry gift sets
· Herbal Tea/ Individual instant coffee serving gift sets
· Sport magazines
· Notebooks/ journals
· Small Christmas ornaments
· Transit tickets
· Handmade items are also appreciated for those who are crafty or knit
· Tim Horton’s or Starbucks gift cards
· Chapters gift cards, fast food gift cards, grocery store gift cards
· Various sizes of mens and ladies underwear.
· Fuzzy Blankets
· Bathrobes – all sizes
· Music Cds
· DVDs – Comedy and Western seem to be popular choices
· Small and easy to operate cd players.
· Gift cards for Walmart or The Bay – these are handy to have in case we need to purchase clothing
· Sweaters of all sizes for men or ladies, cardigan or pull on
· T-shirts of all sizes for men and women – short or long sleeve
· Button up casual blouses for ladies or button up casual shirts for men
· Pj pants and 2-piece pj sets – mens and ladies
· Nighties for ladies – variety of lengths
Create a Man or Lady gift
If you would rather you can put together a complete gift for a man or lady. While we are happy to put together gifts on our end some volunteers enjoy putting the entire package together.
You can look to Santa’s wish list for ideas of commonly requested items. If you purchase clothing, we ask that you choose 1 size per box and indicate that on the content list (taped to the outside of the box).
Due to Covid19 restrictions we have had to make a few changes. This year we will be suppling boxes for the Man or Lady generic gifts. Please do not write anything on the box but tape a piece of paper that indicates either generic man or lady and list the contents). You will need to pick up the boxes from one of our distribution points. These locations are being finalized but we will post the information on our website and Facebook as soon as they are confirmed. There will be distribution in all quadrants of Calgary as well as hopefully one location in Airdrie and Okotoks.
Gifts must go in the boxes that we provide. It is not an option to use your own box or gift bag this year. We appreciate your understanding and support with this and realize that this is an added step for you.
The dimensions of the box are 16” x 12” x 12” which is just a bit bigger than a file/banker’s box.
Each box will have a space on the outside to write the seniors name, id number and site id. For generic gifts please DO NOT write in this space. Tape a label that indicates either Man or Lady gift to the outside of the box along with a content list of what is in the gift. The boxes can be decorated with stickers or drawings if you like, and the gifts inside can be individually wrapped.
Non-Senior Seniors
As we have every year, there are a small number of people on our list who do not technically qualify as seniors. These folks for the most part live in 24-hour care facilities due to a debilitating illness or injury. They are individuals who do not have family support and are alone at Christmas. We are looking for a few Santas who might be willing to take on a non-senior senior 🙂 If you would be interested in providing a gift for one of our underage folks please send me an email at coordinator@seniorssecretservice.com
Hospital Gifts
Each year we supply over 300 gifts to Calgary area hospitals for those seniors who are alone in the hospital over Christmas. These gifts are considerably smaller than a regular gift. Here is an example of the hospital profile for a lady gift.
Warm Blanket that is Feminine or Pashmina, Socks with Grips, Toiletry Kit with Full Sized Product (Toothpaste, Shampoo, a Hairbrush, a Toothbrush, and Deodorant), Christmas Stuffie, Crossword/Word Search – Large Print, Adult Coloring Book & Markers, Magazine (Ex: Chatelaine, Hello).
If you would like to put together a hospital gift please email coordinator@seniorssecretservice.com and we will send you a profile. You will need to pick up a box for these gifts as well.