All Forest Hill residents had gifts to open Christmas Day, thanks to annual initiative

Angel Tree program was once again a ‘huge success’

An annual program organized by Forest Hill to ensure every resident of the Kanata, Ont. long-term care home receives a Christmas present to open Dec. 25 was once again a “huge success,” says life enrichment co-ordinator Craig Forrest.

Every year, Forest Hill puts up the Angel Tree in the home. The Angel Tree is a Christmas tree that is covered with numbered tags representing every resident.

Family members, staff members and visitors are invited to take one of the numbered tags to buy presents for the resident each number on the tag corresponds with. The tags are always numbered for privacy and also include a list of gift ideas for residents.

Craig says the 100-plus tags on the tree were all gone within three days. As with past years, parishioners from nearby Trinity Presbyterian Church strongly supported the Angel Tree project, Craig says, adding church members took 80 tags.

In 2020, due to pandemic restrictions in place at the time, the Angel Tree was offered virtually through Google Docs.

This past Christmas, thanks to essential caregivers and limited general visitors being allowed inside the home before Christmas, Forest Hill once again set up the Angel Tree by the main entrance.

Craig says team members from the life enrichment department made sure the gifts got to the residents on Christmas Day.

“The life enrichment staff were able to deliver each resident a gift on Christmas Day and would spend some time with them helping open their gift and reminiscing about Christmases past,” he says.

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PHOTO CAPTION: Pictured above, Forest Hill life enrichment aide Sara MacFarlane and resident Margaret Hall on Christmas Day.