What did Pahrump’s Soroptimist club do for Christmas?

When Christmas time comes around, the seniors of the community are rarely thinking of themselves, particularly those who have taken on the role of raising their grandchildren. But Soroptimist International Pahrump Valley believes no one should be left out of the holiday happiness.

That’s precisely why the nonprofit started a club program called Christmas for Seniors and 2024 marked the third consecutive year of this initiative bringing cheer to valley seniors.

SIPV member Gina Emond heads up the Christmas for Seniors program and she was overjoyed with how things turned out this year.

“I was so pleased with the results. People keep telling us we did such a great job but really, it was the community that did. We were just the elves that helped out,” Emond said with evident delight. “Last year we did 104 gift packages for our seniors but we began to run out of things at the end and I wanted to make sure that all of the packages were filled with every item. This year we did 101 people and they each received every item we had. Those packages were filled and they were heavy!”

The focus of Christmas for Seniors this year was grandparents caring for their grandchildren, with names gleaned from school officials and churches making up the bulk of this year’s recipients.

“We also provided packages for some people in hospice and in assisted living, as well as some seniors with public guardians. And then some people called us and asked specifically for a friend or family member, which we were happy to be able to add to the list,” Emond added.

“We had some absolutely wonderful donors who made it possible for us to give much more than we have in the past. For example, Betty Miller, she made over 80 handmade crocheted lap blankets. And we had another lady who hand-crocheted some hats, scarves and lap blankets too. It was amazing, they were all so beautiful,” she continued. “And Chad Goins from State Farm delivered Kleenex and paper towels for all of the packages. Living Free gave us a generous donation of $1,000 and a personal friend of mine, Dorothy Ring, also donated $1,000.

“I also want to say thank you to Valley Electric, Robyn Canarella of Fainting Goat Soap, my fellow Soroptimist members, Shannon McCreedy, Pahrump Band of Sisters, Sandra Schnelle, Reva Braun, Dr. Ruesga, Arlette Ledbetter, the Wine Down, the Gourd Patch and Group, EJ and the Nevada Silver Tappers,” she concluded. “There were a lot of people who donated but we don’t know their names. So next year, we’re going to have donors sign in so that we can make sure to give them credit for their generosity.”

For more information on the work SIPV does in the community visit SoroptimistPV.com

Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com