Elders at Regency Park Estate Lifestyle Retirement Village give to appeal

Lifestyle chairwoman Glenys Glynn with some long shelf life food items. Photo/Shauni James

The elders at Regency Park Estate Lifestyle Retirement Village have got into the festive spirit of giving, donating a range of items to the Rotorua Daily Post Christmas Appeal.

The village's social club, Lifestyle, organised the collection for the Salvation Army Foodbank.

Lifestyle chairwoman Glenys Glynn says the club put out a newsletter letting people know it would be collecting non-perishable items - such as boxes of cereal - and things which have a reasonably long shelf life, along with some special treats.

She says there ended up being four banana boxes full of items.

"I covered the boxes in Christmas wrapping and every time we came into the centre something had been added anonymously which was really nice."

Glenys says this is Regency Park's second year getting behind the Salvation Army appeal.

Last year it did two collections, one for the foodbank and one for Women's Refuge.

She says she has personally had a few dealings with the Salvation Army on and off over the years in different ways, and it is a great cause to get behind.

"They fill a necessary hole in a lot of people's lives. It just seems the right thing to do."

Photo/File

Glenys says a lot of people at Regency Park are now unable to go out and do volunteer work and donating was one small way they can feel they are helping.

She says a lot of the older residents also lived through the Great Depression years and are aware of having to make things stretch or just plain going without.

It felt great to give the Salvation Army the items, which include basic things as well as chocolates and special biscuits, she says.

"I think they were pretty happy."