Herb Bassett Home residents will enjoy Tim Hortons Tuesday's until April, 2021. (Submitted photo/Jennifer McDougall)

By Dawson Thompson

Christmas at Herb Bassett

Programs at Herb Bassett Home keep residents involved with the community

Dec 3, 2020 | 12:00 PM

A special care home in Prince Albert is treating their residents to a few community-supported programs during the holidays.

Adopt a Grandparent is returning to the Herb Bassett Home, with the Secret Santa Tree located at the Knotty Pine Bistro in Little Red this year, due to COVID restrictions at Herb Bassett.

Along with the Adopt a Grandparent Christmas gift drive, since mid-October the Herb Bassett Home has been sharing treats from restaurants in our community with their residents, with miniature hand-made food stands.

Residents at the Herb Bassett Home get to enjoy a meal from a Mcdonald’s pop-up shop. (Submitted photo/Jennifer McDougall)

The food trucks are sponsored by members in the community. Restaurants who have taken part are Tim Hortons, McDonald’s, and A&W.

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Part owner of Tim Hortons, Cheryl Sander said the project is exciting to be a part of.

“I gave them a big banner, signs, coffee, cups, uniforms, and nametags, anything to make it look like a Tim Hortons,” Sander said.

Sander added customers with parents at Herb Bassett have been thankful for the support.

“I think that made it even more real. Hearing from a family member how much it is appreciated touches your heart, especially right now.”

With 144 residents at the Herb Bassett Home, each meal costs about $100. To sponsor a meal for residents you can purchase gift cards for the restaurant, then bring them to the care home.

Jennifer McDougall, recreation coordinator for the Herb Bassett Home told paNOW prior to restrictions on family visits at the care home, many families would bring residents Tim Hortons. Once they could no longer do that, they found a way to get creative and treat their residents.

“The residents really do feel like its an outing,” McDougall said. “They said it’s just a really nice treat to be thought of.”

Residents at the Herb Bassett Home have enjoyed meals from A&W as a part of their pop-up restaurant program. (Submitted photo/Jennifer McDougall)

McDougall explained they have been sponsored for ‘Tim Hortons Tuesday’s’ until April.

The care home is already planning a few more pop-up shops for their residents. Since they are currently unable to leave the facility to go shopping, they’ll get to look forward to some upcoming retail therapy with a ‘Dollar Store with More’ day at the home, sponsored by the Cooke Municipal Golf Course.

One more event residents can look forward to will be their New Years’ “Tattoos and Booze” party. Ambrose Grocery at Christopher Lake will be supplying alcohol to the care home. Residents can have an alcoholic or non-alcoholic drink and will get temporary tattoos.

The Adopt a Grandparent program makes sure every resident at the care home receives a gift on Christmas morning. A card for each resident at the home is put on the Secret Santa Tree, giving descriptions of potential gift ideas for that person.

However, this year, McDougall explained residents are wanting something that can not be purchased in a store for Christmas.

“Their Christmas wish-list when I asked, is to see their family,” McDougall said. “I can’t give them that, so we try to give them anything else they want.”

Instructions on where and when to drop off your Adopt a Grandparent gift will be on the card hanging on the Secret Santa Tree located at the Knotty Pine Bistro.

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Dawson.thompson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: dawsonthompson8