Sara Stadem | Editor
Critters Bar in Crooks started a tradition three years ago and decided to continue it again this year giving seniors that reside at nursing homes or assisted living centers a brighter holiday season. One of Critters Bar Managers, Annie Westerbur, explained the Angel Tree for seniors is back again and ready for donations.
Westerbur explained this project started about three years ago when a community member came to them and asked about doing this. “About three years ago, a lady in town asked us about doing it. That’s when we first did it,” Westerbur said. “She used to go over to the Garretson Nursing Home and she got it all set up for us.”
“We do stuff for children all throughout the year. We talked about it and realized there are a lot of seniors that don’t get visitors regularly during the year,” Westerbur said. “So, we decided this is something we can do to bring some extra cheer to their holiday and the community has responded greatly to it.”
Westerbur explained they try to pick a different nursing home or assisted living each year, their first one being the nursing home in Garretson, Palisade Healthcare Center. Following them, Critters Bar brought holiday cheer with their Angel Tree to Colton Assisted Living in Colton and Leisure Living in Hartford. This year’s recipient of the Angel Tree is Avantara Norton in Sioux Falls.
In order to get the Angel Tree set up each year, Westerbur contacts the nursing home or assisted living center to see if they want to participate. From there, the nursing home or assisted living center asks their residents what they want for Christmas and sends a list to Westerbur. Due to privacy, there are no names on the list; simply indicates whether the gift would be for a man or woman.
After Westerbur receives the list from the chosen facility, she goes shopping. Westerbur gets ornaments to decorate the Angel Tree and attaches the requested gift tag to the ornaments on the tree.
“Anyone that wants to come to Critters and pick up one or five ornaments, however many you want to do and go shopping,” Westerbur explained. She continued, “You bring the gift back to Critters with the ornament and tag by December 20 and I will deliver the packages to the nursing home once it’s all done.”
According to Westerbur, they received gift ideas for 45 residents this year out of the 60 residents that Avantara Norton currently has today.
“I actually cried reading the list this year because someone will want something so simple like a box of Ritz crackers,” Westerbur said. “It’s so sad what some of them are asking for and that’s all they want.”
Westerbur explained for those that want to donate extra, they are always in need of personal items such as socks or a light lap blanket.
For those donating, gifts should be returned to Critters Bar by December 20, wrapped with the ornament and tag attached to the outside of the gift. For anyone that misses the deadline, Westerbur said to still return the gifts to Critters and she will make another delivery to Avantara Norton.
If you know of a nursing home or assisted living center that could benefit from this, contact Critters Bar. Westerbur explained, “I try to put the word out there that if I’m missing someone, let me know so that we can get them on the list for next year.”
Westerbur said, “It’s amazing, I always think about one or two families around here when doing this. They ask me way ahead of time if we are doing the tree again this year as they go out and buy several gifts for it; their whole family gets involved.” She continued, “It’s just amazing how the community has responded to this.”