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When I was researching agencies to contact for the article I wrote on Thanksgiving and Christmas service opportunities, the Foundation for Senior Living was on my list. I ended up cutting them because I couldn’t find anything online about current/holiday specific service needs. A short while later, a blurb in the agency’s fall newsletter corrected me. There was and is something very easy Catholics can do to help seniors on a fixed-income this Christmas.

You can be a Christmas angel.

Here’s how the newsletter describes the program:

Brenda VanVuuren, a co-coordinator of the Christmas Angel program at the Foundation for Senior Living, selects an ornament from the agency's tree. The local community can sponsor one of the 200 ornaments that bears the name and gift request of a local senior in need. FSL workers will do the shopping for you and let you know what became of your gift. Call (602) 285-1800 for more information.

“Each year we hang ornaments on the lobby Christmas tree with details about the surprisingly basic and modest Christmas gift requests from each of our most vulnerable clients. Passers-by select an ornament from the tree, shop for the requested item (shirt, socks, sweaters, sneakers and cookies are most popular) and submit wrapped Christmas gifts with name tags for distribution to our low-income seniors and disabled adults.

Please consider making a cash contribution for our Angel Tree this year. Our employees will do the shopping and wrapping for you and inform you of the gifts bestowed in your name! For more details, call Annette (602) 285-1800.”

This has to be one of the easiest service projects. Bit it’s not “Just money,” as you read, the workers send you a note on what became of your funds. It’s not every day that donors know specifically how their gifts are used. So if you’re still looking for a way to help others this Christmas, contact the Foundation for Senior Living.

And the help will be more than appreciated. The Foundation provided gifts for 286 people last year, but because some corporate sponsors stepped back this year, they’re shooting for 210 this Christmas. With enough volunteers simply sending money, more seniors will have a child-like smile come Dec. 25.