It was bitterly cold on Saturday morning when I set out for New York State Veterans’ Home in Oxford, but I didn’t mind. I had my signature Delivering Christmas apron, and the glowing warmth of the holiday spirit, to keep me warm.
Why was I heading down to the facility at such an early hour? Why, to volunteer, of course.
Each year, the women of the 6th District American Legion Auxiliary and a crew of dedicated volunteers from Chenango, Broome and surrounding counties bring Christmas to the 242 residents of the Vets’ Home. And I mean “bring” literally.
Led by District President Mary Smallcomb and Field Services Representative Pat Konopka, they arrive with a truckload of totes loaded with clothes, toys and household items in every conceivable size, shape and color. These items are arranged on tables to allow residents to do their Christmas “shopping,” whether it is to pick up items for loved ones or for themselves. All of it is provided to the residents free of charge, and then wrapped by volunteers.
This was my second year helping out with the event. That’s right, I loved it so much I came back for more. Last year, before the move to the new building, it had been held in the old facility’s large multi-purpose room. Gifts were displayed on tables arranged in a big square, with open space in the middle, thus allowing the wheelchairs to circle on the outside and volunteers to restock and assist from the inside. Those doing the wrapping, and writing out greeting cards, were located inside the room. Residents were queued up outside in the hallway, waiting to take their turn around the heavily-laden gift tables.
This year, was a little bit different. While the new facility does have a multi-purpose room, it is smaller in size. The decision was therefore made to split the endeavor between that room, and the second floor, where more than half of the residents reside.
There were some kinks to be worked out, but it seemed to come together a bit more efficiently than in the past. Mary, Pat and some of the other volunteers had taken the time to split the items, labeling some totes for the downstairs and others for up. A second gift wrapping/card writing station was also created. Because there were two locations, there were no long queues of residents.
As a result, there wasn’t a need for me to do a reprisal of my Vanna White role from last year. Which is a shame, because I really enjoyed standing around smiling and making helpful suggestions about what qualified as the perfect gift for the people on their Christmas list.
Instead, they made me do some real work. And since they hadn’t forgotten last year’s near-mishap (which got me barred from ever again pushing residents around in their wheeled conveyances), I was relegated to a small conference room where I frantically stuffed an infinite number of gift bags with all manner of personal care and gift items.
OK, maybe that’s an exaggeration. There weren’t an infinite number of bags, but rather precisely 242 – one for each Vets’ Home resident. And it was hardly slave labor.
Pressed into service with me were two Norwich High School students, Megan McAvoy and Kelsey Black, both of whom happen to be members of the Junior Auxiliary. Our task master was Jamey Supensky, Alan Hopson’s right hand gal in the Vets’ Home’s activities department. While Jamey had no problem cracking the whip over our heads, she did it with her signature smile and good humor. It was nothing short of a blast.
Working in assembly-line fashion, we had the goodie bags stuffed in record time. And while the same types of things were included in each, we made sure that none were exactly the same. Whether it was an embroidered handkerchief, a bottle of men’s cologne or some tempting chocolates – everyone got a little something special.
For someone like me, who absolutely loves to give gifts it was sheer heaven. My only lament was that they wouldn’t be given out to residents until the afternoon, when another crew of volunteers and a guitarist would make their way to each of the facility’s neighborhoods caroling and spreading Christmas cheer.
Oh, well. There’s always next year.