ENFIELD: When residents at the Magnolia Continuing Care facility woke up this Christmas morning, they would have found a special present under their tree.
That present was a pair of jammies donated to them as part of the Jammies for Grammies program through Alyssa’s Angels. They were delivered by members of Alyssa’s Angels and three East Hants RCMP officers on Dec. 19.
Patricia MacNeil, Alyssa’s mom, started the fundraiser after her 22-year-old daughter passed away almost three years ago.
Alyssa was four when she received her first diagnosis of cancer. She beat it multiple times, before it returned in 2019. At that time doctors told Alyssa it was untreatable, and she died Jan. 2020.
MacNeil and members of Alyssa’s Angels wrapped 462 pairs of pajamas with the Magnolia just one of seven deliveries to be made this holiday season. They dropped off 71 pair at the Magnolia.
“I like helping out the seniors and spreading the love,” said MacNeil on a gloomy day outside the Magnolia. “It’s our Angel team that does they. They go out and shop for the seniors.”
She was happy to be approached and get East Hants RCMP involved.
“Next year we’re going to hit them up harder and make them start earlier, so we might be able to take on a few more homes out this way,” she said.
Helen Hines, Recreation Programmer at the Rosecrest Communities-operated facility in Enfield, said the clients won’t know until Christmas morning.
“A lot of residents don’t have family members or gifts to open on Christmas morning, so it’s important for them to have this,” she said.
She said Alyssa’s Angels is a great way for the community and the facility to partner.
“Having the community come together in a way such as this is really important to the residents,” said Hines. ‘They really like that connection to the outside world, and with Covid they haven’t been able to be out as much.
“It’s really nice to see people giving back.”
