Community unites to make gift drive a success

Lucille Phillips gets a visit from that jolly old elf during this year's Linda Hayes Nursing Home Gift Drive. (Submitted photo) [Click to enlarge]

Bedford County's elderly were not forgotten this Christmas, with around 300 gifts distributed as planned to the county's nursing homes.

This was the fourth year the Linda Hayes Nursing Home Gift Drive spread cheer to the residents, who might otherwise have had a lonely Christmas.

Organizer Lindsey Sudberry said that volunteers visited all the nursing homes last Saturday, giving out packages containing five gifts each.

The gift drive is named in honor of Lindsey's late grandmother, who was the inspiration for the effort. Linda Hayes, who worked at Celebration Way and also did hair for nursing home residents, passed away in 2007.

Sudberry said they had been distributing seven items per bag, but that was changed with the restriction placed on food and lotion items this year.

Santa Claus takes a moment to pose for a picture with Arthur McDaniel during the Linda Hayes Nursing Home Gift Drive. (Submitted photo) [Click to enlarge]

Instead, those items were donated to Christian Care Center for them to distribute or use for bingo prizes, Sudberry said.

"We were also able to give Christian Care Center and Glen Oaks a group gift," Sudberry explained, due to the large number of residents.

Organizers were able to provide Christian Care Center with a radio/CD player for each of their two dining rooms with wall mountable speakers for events, as well as two Monopoly games.

Gracie Cleek gets a hug from the big guy while he made his rounds as part of this year's Linda Hayes Nursing Home Gift Drive. (Submitted photo) [Click to enlarge]

Glen Oaks mentioned needing a karaoke machine, and the volunteers were able to provide it.

Sudberry thanked the many individuals who helped out in this year's drive, such as Gary Emerson, owner of Webb Mason, who provided the truck and helped with delivery the entire day.

Cascade School Key Club and Interact also donated their time with shopping and packaging, Walmart contributed a generous amount of money also as well as Living Stones Community Church donating the facility for the packaging and all the volunteers who helped with packing and delivery.

Also thanked were Antique Arts & Collectibles Mall, Duck River Electric, Heritage South CCU, New Covenant Christian Bookstore, Omni Center, Shelbyville Power, Shelbyville Times-Gazette, Titan Transfer, The Express, Vera's Pearls, Walgreens, Shelbyville HR association, the ladies of Winnett and Associates, and "a very special Santa."

"Words could never express the happiness shown on each individual's face when they received their wonderful gifts," Sudberry said. "I hope this experience has been as much of a blessing to everyone involved as it has been to me."