Three Golden Opportunities Tag-A-Gift Locations Set Up
Golden Opportunities works in partnership with several Newtown groups as well as elder care facilities in Newtown and the region. Its mission is to enhance the quality of life for residents in these facilities by providing outreach services of comfort, compassion, and support.
This holiday season, Golden Opportunities is again providing some joy to the residents of these facilities through a Tag-A-Gift program.
Three locations were set up last week. The public is now invited to take a tag, purchase the requested item, and return it to that location by Monday, December 10.
This year’s locations are the lobby of Edmond Town Hall, 45 Main Street; Newtown Savings Bank’s new location, 32 Church Hill Road; and the Customer Service desk at Stop & Shop, within Sand Hill Plaza at 228 South Main Street.
Gifts need to be left unwrapped and have their request tag attached to them when they are dropped off. Gift receipts are requested if possible, as are gift bags.
Girl Scouts in Newtown Troop 50293 have again crafted handmade ornaments for the program. One ornament is attached to each gift request tag, and the ornaments are meant to be kept as gifts for those purchasing gifts for the Golden Opportunities outreach.
The tree at Edmond Town Hall was put into place on November 21. Karen Harris, a volunteer with Golden Opportunities, took care of decorating the tree that morning. She had already put the Stop & Shop tree into place on Wednesday and watched as one tag was immediately selected.
“I was decorating that tree when a woman came and took the first tag,” Ms Harris said. “She was very excited to be able to help someone else.”
Golden Opportunities received requests, Ms Harris said, from close to 200 people this year. The gifts will be delivered later this month to residents of Newtown Rehabilitation & Health Care Center (formerly Masonicare at Newtown), St John Paul II Center in Danbury, Notre Dame in Norwalk, and White Oak Manor in Southbury.
The gift requests are simple and relatively inexpensive. They range from knitting books for ideas and patterns to sweatpants to body wash and lotion, hats, a throw pillow, or chocolates.
For additional information, call Ms Harris at 203-304-9858.
Golden Opportunities volunteer Karen Harris stands next to the tree in the lobby of Edmond Town Hall that has been decorated with tags identifying gift requests from residents of local eldercare facilities. The public is being invited to help fulfill holiday wishes of those residents by December 10. (Bee Photo, Hicks)
Members of Newtown Girl Scout Troop 50293 have again created charming ornaments to accompany each gift wish. (Bee Photo, Hicks)
Each tag made by the Scouts indicates just the age and gender of a gift’s recipient — no names — as well as a few details about the gift being requested. (Bee Photo, Hicks)