Happy New year
January 1, 2017
Issue No. 1
www.westsidenewsny.com
NORTH EDITION
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to
Hilton-Parma
Christmas giving at Beikirch from staff members and The College at Brockport The project by BASC is in its fourth year at Beikirch. Following extensive procedures, it begins Mid-morning on December 16, staff members of in early November, when the employees of BASC are Lakeside Beikirch Care Center began rolling carts under way with making lists, then shopping for and into the lobby. There was anticipation of Santa’s wrapping presents. The presents are first suggested truck arriving from the College at Brockport with by LBCC staff who know the residents. Gillman presents for each of the 120 residents. The truck and Nancy Duff, LBCC recreation director, go over arrived, followed by ten employees of BASC, the the lists to finalize them. The lists are sent to BASC Brockport Auxiliary Services Corporation. Boxes of employees. Tickets with residents’ first names and presents with residents’ room numbers were carried suggested presents are provided. “Our people enjoy taking a couple of names (tickets) in and placed on carts for their designated floor. BASC and LBCC recreation staff started off to all and shopping for them,” Gillman said. Presents were turned in by December 5 this year. “Then, a few elves three floors to visit each resident with gifts. in the office helped me bag everything in tissue paper and make new tags for them.” Compassion and coordination This year, special hand-made gifts were included from employees at The College At the College, BASC employees provide all food for each resident. Last year BASC employees began services, the book store, parking services and other making crafts on Saturday mornings. “It was so support. Jean Gillman, BASC executive administra- popular, they wanted to do it again this year,” Gilltive assistant, heads the Christmas project. She ex- man said, “but this time to make presents for the plained why the 150 employees are so enthusiastic LBCC residents. Especially for our members who about giving to the LBCC residents. “Many of our could not get a gift, this enabled them to provide one.” employees have grown up in this area and have had In each bag was a hand-crafted ceramic tile coaster. family or friends as residents in Beikirch,” Gillman Also, about 40 snow men made from socks, stuffed said. “It’s close to our heart. Our employees look with rice and corn, were used to complete some gift bags. “It’s a community thing for sure, and everybody forward to it every year.” loves it and gets into it,” Gillman said about this Santa’s workshop. Kimberly Klinetob, administrator for LBCC, expressed appreciation for the devoted work by BASC in the Christmas project. “We are so grateful for their generosity, time, resources and their hearts,” she said. “The residents are grateful too; it is very sweet to see the looks on their faces when opening a gift.” Nancy Duff commented on the success of the gift-giving that morning. “It went like clockwork, running very smoothly for up to an hour-and-ahalf, depending on the chatting in the rooms between the residents and college staff,” she said. “My sincere thanks to the College (BASC) for all their hard work and Beikirch resident Mary Ellen Frawley (left) was delighted to receive her Christmas gift, a beautiful compassion, and for their cozy blanket, from the volunteers of the Brockport Auxiliary Service Corporation (BASC). Her daughter dedication in making this Patti Frawley (right) was there to share in the festivities. Photo by Dianne Hickerson. happen every year.” by Doug Hickerson
Lakeside Beikirch resident Audrey Van Roo awakened Christmas morning to find a special Christmas gift just for her. She is one of the 120 residents who received a gift selected especially for them, donated by an anonymous benefactor. Photo by Dianne Hickerson. A secret Santa on Christmas morning Early Christmas morning brought more gifts from a secret Santa and the work of the LBCC staff. It’s a tradition that goes back many years, according to Duff. Making gift lists and shopping is done by the Recreation Department staff. First, they place a list of all residents on each floor, allowing other staff, nurses and nurse assistants, to suggest types of gifts for each resident. The completed lists are used by the Recreation Department staff to shop for gifts in between their regular tasks. Nancy Duff says the shopping takes about five hours for the majority of the gifts, “counting travel and getting everything in a safe room until we wrap and label them.” When the Recreation staff cashes out the presents in the store, they are met by the secret Santa who pays the bill. The person, who wants to remain anonymous, also has been a volunteer at LBCC for three years and at Lakeside Hospital many years before that. As a secret Santa, the volunteer said, “I am happy to be in the background.”
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