Santa’s grandchildren
A small crib to put in the bedside table, a lipstick, from the slippers, are just some of the wishes that seniors from retirement homes. Also for this Christmas their wishes will be fulfilled by the young nephews of Santa Claus. One more smile is a voluntary association that has been operating for 18 years take care of the elderly with volunteers who are close to the loneliest people. For four years, he has announced the project “Santa’s grandchildren “. It is a site in which nursing homes can register from all over Italy, and after receiving the received access, they they collect the wishes of their guests going to the elders asking them what would make them happy.
Afterwards the wishes are loaded into the platform, are associated with the first name, everything’age and to Like this, which equates to a personal message. Reading these short texts you realize that they are written with the spirit similar to that of children when they write the letter to Santa Claus. Many of these messages are tender, like that of Beppe, 85 years old, from the province of Savona: “I’d like to receive a pair of headphones to listen to TV in silence without disturbing my roommate. “Or that of Liliana, 93 years old from Ancona: “I would like to receive a lily-of-the-valley deodorant that I can also use as a perfume. It reminds me of the lilies of the valley planted in my garden in spring“.
Laura Briciola, press and media contact of the project, explained: “There is one first surprise for seniors, that they are not used to asking, already when they are asked what they would like to receive. Then there is one second surprise when the elderly receive gifts ”. These wishes, when uploaded to the site, are visible to all. In addition to the attached data, there is a button with written “I want to give“. When you click, the platform puts the web user in contact with the nursing home connected in which the elder who expressed the wish is located. You leave your contacts and are called back. 7,702 wishes have been uploaded on the site e 324 retirement homes from many areas of Italy participated, including the House Residence for the Elderly Villa Salus in the province of Rimini. Then “we agree on how to get the gift to the elderly person”.
As there are many anti-Covid-19 restrictions, it is not always possible to enter retirement homes. “Most of the gifts are shipped, then the educators organize some video calls among the elderly who received the gift e the ‘nephew of santa claus’ who gave the gift. In some cases there is also the possibility of getting to know each other in person. There are often some very moving and emotional situations. The nice thing, in addition to the value of the object, which can also be low, it is the encounter with these young people“. Indeed the age target of those who are making the donations is indeed young. Santa’s grandchildren are taken boys and girls from all over Italy.
The whole remains a lot transparent and ethical, because there is no passing of money: “The grandson who chooses the gift, he goes to buy it himself, then writes the ticket and sends the package or delivers it in person, where possible, to the grandfather or grandmother who has chosen The workers of the nursing homes are surprised than they are these donors are deep and sensitive. It is a beautiful discovery for young people to know these elderly people, as well as the other way around ”. on Facebook And Instagram you will find the photo ei video of these meetings e observing the faces of these elderly, one perceives that something special is happening. Gather simple wishes like “a purse”, as far as more extravagant things come the case of “a 90-year-old lady who asked for a pair of faux leather leggings to feel sexy and seductive. “
There are also very special requests that go beyond the material gift, that is it asks for an emotional experience: someone wants a surprise a pig in a poke, others a breakfast at the bar, so the hiding request is get some company. The wish of Claudio, a 64 years old from Cremona that would like to fly for the first time and is expressed thus: “I’ve never been on a plane and that’s why I I would very much like to challenge the sky and experience this exciting experience“. About this, Laura Briciola says: “A similar thing happened in the first edition of the project. They told me about a flight center where there are ultralights where the elderly could have this experience”.
“The initiative was born in Czech Republic In the 2017 where it was promoted by national radio“, explains Briciola,” we met him by a local girl who had participated from Italy by sending her a gift. It was such a great experience that we decided that the project should also be carried out in Italy. with Katerina Neumann, architect and web designer, we designed the site and created the first edition, up to the fourth year in 2021. “Another edition made up of great satisfactions, emotions and feelings, capable of rediscovering the true magic of Christmas. In a time when you need to be spaced out, this kind of closeness cannot be good.