THE Kiwanis Club of West St Andrew’s (KCWSA) community service arm, in keeping with the spirit of Christmas, recently ensured scores of senior citizens of the Red Hills Golden-agers Citizens Association in Red Hills, St Andrew, felt a little extra love through the club’s annual Christmas dinner at the Red Hills Basic School recently.

Approximately 100 elderly people partook of a Christmas meal including different combinations of ham, chicken, fish and beef, topped off with the traditional Christmas cake and sorrel. The senior citizens catered for also included shut-ins in various parts of the Red Hills community including Mosquito Valley, Burnside Valley, Pictcain Valley, Waugh Hill, Big Rock Hall, and Topper Hill. Deliveries were organised by the Kiwanians to reach this most vulnerable group as they could not be left out of savouring the merry spirit of the season.

At the gathering, the seniors reminisced about remarkable childhood Christmas memories — gifts mysteriously left under the bed attributed to a secret Santa visit, scrumptious cakes, succulent pork and other home-made delicacies they enthused about back then. With many sharing that the hustle and bustle of the holiday season can at times be overwhelming, the seniors were thankful for time to build camaraderie and the good cheer from Kiwanians, in addition to the supply of food items the 43-year-old club donates on a monthly basis. KCWSA President Robert Thomas then segued into Christmas carols, a source of merriment for the seniors who participated in a vibrant sing-a-long.

“It’s a great way to bring the senior citizens together, and our absolute joy of serving during this festive season. For many elderly people, feelings of loneliness and isolation can be normal during the holidays, especially those persons who are physically restricted by health impairments. So our club’s community services arm thought it was timely to reach out with this treat, spending time and interacting with the golden-agers, ” he said.

For more than 20 years, the KCWSA has been offering support to the golden-agers through educational workshops, lunch and breakfast assistance to seniors who visit the Red Hills Clinic and monthly supplies of grocery items.