The Love with Humanity Association is spreading joy to seniors in the Chestermere area by celebrating seniors who have birthdays in June.
Throughout the month of June, the Love with Humanity Association has been delivering a birthday cake, birthday card, gift hamper with non-perishable food items, and a birthday gift to seniors’ doorsteps in Calgary and the surrounding area.
“We feel so happy and excited that we have been able to deliver packages to seniors’ doorsteps and sometimes, even to celebrate with them outside. It has been good fun for us as well as the people we visit have a smile on their face,” said Founder and President of the Love with Humanity Association, Syed Hassan.
It was important for the Love with Humanity Association to celebrate seniors to ensure seniors know they are appreciated throughout COVID-19.
“Seniors are important pillars of society. We want them to know that we need them and appreciate them and want to let them know that they are valued, and they are not alone,” Hassan said.
Adding, “Even though the present pandemic has isolated them and not allowed them to go out, as usual, we can still find a way to extend our love, our smiles, and our respect. With a little extra effort, our seniors can have some compensation for their lost social life.”
The Love with Humanity Association senior birthday initiative has received an overwhelming amount of support from Calgary and area residents.
“We have had a wonderful response from people in Calgary and the surrounding area. We would like to see this practice catch on as a regular thing in every area, but for now, we are starting close to home. Sometimes it just isn’t enough to publicly address our elders and tell them they are valued, we want to meet them, talk to them, and know them better. This is all part of being a real community,” Hassan said.
Adding, “Seniors play such important, and often overlooked role in our society. Seniors are assets for us. We grow up to learn so many things because of them and we depend on them in so many subtle ways, they are often difficult to describe. Getting out and socializing is often a challenge for seniors at the best of times, but now it is an even greater challenge. If they cannot go out, at least, we can try to go to them.”
Although the Love with Humanity Association senior’s birthday initiative has received positive feedback from the community, the association is hopeful to begin more interactive events and celebrations as provincial COVID-19 restrictions continue to ease.
“Formerly, we were able to conduct a variety of social activities with seniors. Every year we arranged different programs every year especially with seniors in mind, but this year, we have had to curtail our usual activities. This is our response to the restrictions the pandemic has imposed on our seniors. We are ready to come to them since they can’t get out the way they could before,” Hassan said.
Adding, “This is a difficult time, so we want to help out each other, we want to keep our mission, spread love to everyone, and make the community stronger together.
Hassan is encouraging seniors and their families to reach out to the Love with Humanity Association to get involved with the seniors birthday initiative by visiting, www.lovewithhumanity.com, or emailing info@lovewithhumanity.com.
