Did you know many seniors in assisted living do not have any family and never receive gifts for the Holidays? With this simple message and an Amazon wish list, the Wachusett Area Rotary club was able to gain over 155 donations of throw blankets from the community to donate to seniors in assisted living this holiday season.
"We were so excited about the response we received from our community for our first ever Holiday Blanket Drive! With just 2 rounds of social posts on Facebook to community groups representing our service area, we were able to secure over 155 donations of blankets!
Why was this project so successful? We think it was because we gave the community a simple, and inexpensive way to make a difference:
1) A compelling message - that many seniors in assisted living do not receive gifts over the holidays
2) Keeping it inexpensive - we gave the community the ability to make a difference for a senior for just $10
3) Making it tangible - rather than asking for money, we asked for an item - and gave a selection of options for the community to choose from
3) Making donations as easy as possible - by using an Amazon Wish List that was set up with several options and pre-set mailing address, it was quick and easy for individuals to make donations.
In addition to the blankets donated by the community, we used our funds to purchase another 90 blankets for a total of 245!
We are still collecting donations for bags to use to wrap the blankets - if you are interested in donating visit our Amazon wish list: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2EOME01B6CMT4?type=wishlist&filter=all&sort=date-added&viewType=list
Blankets will be donated to 2 assisted living facilities in our service area - one in Holden and one in West Boylston and given out as holiday presents."