46th annual Christmas Wish List continues to bring joy to seniors

Natalie Reed can’t recall a time in her life when she wasn’t a part of the Christmas Wish List for seniors.

Some of her earliest memories are visits to care centers, seeing people’s faces and eyes light up when given gifts.

Some of the visits were before she could remember.

“When I was 1 month old,” she said, “my mom stuck me in a red stocking and passed me around at nursing homes.”

When her time to run the project came, it felt like it was only natural.

This is Reed’s first year as chairperson of the annual tradition, one that spans more than four decades under the watchful eye of her family.

The gift drive will fulfill the wishes of 239 residents at adult family homes in the region, giving the community the opportunity to purchase gifts for one or more seniors in need this holiday season.

Anyone interested in participating in the Senior Wish List can select a number from the list and bring item or items to the Lewiston Tribune, located at 505 Capital St. in Lewiston. The gifts should be wrapped and tagged with the recipient’s name and wish list number, delivered no later than Dec. 20.

Reed’s Grandmother Helen Wilks and Great-Aunt Ellen Smith have been heavily involved in the drive since it began in 1978. She said it started as a Jaycettes community service project, and was later taken on by the Campfire Girls.

The drive has carried on for years with the help of the two sisters’ children, grandchildren, friends and extended family. Reed said in a way it’s become their family Christmas tradition.

“We couldn’t see it go away, and how people could get gifts one year and not the next,” she said. “We won’t be together for Christmas but we’ll have the project. … It’s what everybody comes for.”

Reed said the drive wouldn’t be possible without the help of local organizations.

The Tribune has long been a sponsor of the project, and the Valley Christian Center provides its gymnasium space for the sorting process. Reed said the generous donations from the community are important facets to the cause.

Planning for the drive begins in October, when care centers are contacted about residents who don’t have family nearby. Seniors provide a list of a few items they’d like for Christmas, and the list is taken to the Tribune.

“This is specifically for people who don’t anticipate receiving anything or will be by themselves for the holidays,” Reed said. “It’s very heartbreaking, but also very warming at the same time, that we get to bring them some Christmas joy.”

Seniors are encouraged to provide several gift ideas to ensure they get something they want. Each resident will get a main gift, along with a number of smaller presents on their list.

The most popular requests are necessities like warm coats, socks, sweaters and toiletries. She said her favorite wish this year is a lifelike stuffed companion dog she knows the resident will adore.

For items that are hard to come by or for items that aren’t donated, a Santa Claus fund is used to shop online or locally to fill in the gaps.

Reed’s family has developed a sorting system over the years to deal with multiple challenges. She said tagging items helps the process run smoothly, as the drive will easily receive 2,000 gifts each year.

Many gifters will shop for specific seniors, she said, and some general goods are donated. Reed added that any spare goodies will be given to nursing homes in the area.

A large part of why the drive has continued for so long is because of the joy it brings.

“It just really goes to show the difference that it makes,” she said. “And it’s just really easy to extend love and kindness to people. … It really does make you feel like you have a little extra special connection, it’s part of why I love it so much.”

This year’s Christmas Senior Wish List can be viewed at bit.ly/3OJfK9r.

Pearce can be reached at epearce@dnews.com.