CANTON, GA (Oct. 13, 2023) – Several county departments are seeking donations for local seniors ahead of the holiday season.
Cherokee County Senior Services is asking for donations for its annual Adopt-A-Senior program.
“We routinely receive phone calls from seniors requesting financial assistance with everything from utilities to groceries,” said Cherokee County Senior Services Resource Coordinator De Gale. “Since most of these folks live on a tight budget, we reach out to the community each year to ask for assistance in gathering their requested Christmas gifts.”
Requested gift items include flashlights with batteries, $30 gift cards to local grocery stores, reacher/grabber tools, stamps, small boxes of chocolate and non-perishable items such as toiletries, lip balm, tissues and lotions.
Senior Services will accept gifts starting Oct. 23 through Dec. 1. Gifts can be dropped off at the Cherokee County Senior Center located at 1001 Univeter Road in Canton. Drop off times are Monday through Friday between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. and on Saturday, Nov. 18 and Saturday, Dec. 2 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. All donated items should be new, unwrapped and placed in a holiday bag.
The program, which has been in effect for more than 20 years, serves on average over 250 seniors. For additional information about the Adopt-A-Senior program, contact Cherokee County Senior Services at 770-345-3025.
Cherokee Recreation and Parks Agency is collecting items for its annual Hugs in A Blanket community outreach program.
“Our Hugs in A Blanket program continues to grow each year,” said Cherokee Recreation and Parks Marketing and Community Outreach Coordinator Jessica Hallman. “Last year, the program reached an all-time high by collecting roughly 1,000 items to donate to our local seniors currently living in nursing homes.”
Program participants are asked to donate a new warm blanket, new pair of slipper socks and a caring note.
Cherokee Recreation and Parks will accept donations starting Nov. 1 through Dec. 13. Gifts can be dropped off at The WREC located at 7545 Main St., building 200, in Woodstock, the Cherokee County Aquatic Center located at 1200 Wellstar Way in Canton and the L.B. Buzz Ahrens Recreation Center at Cherokee Veterans Park located at 7345 Cumming Highway in Canton. Drop off times are Monday through Friday between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Donation drop-offs hours will be affected by county office closures in observance of upcoming holidays. County offices will be closed Friday, Nov. 10 in observance of Veterans Day and Nov. 23-24 in observance of the Thanksgiving holidays.
For more information about the Hugs in A Blanket program, contact Cherokee Recreation and Parks at 770-924-7768 or visit PlayCherokee.org.
ABOUT CHEROKEE COUNTY
Located 30 miles north of downtown Atlanta, Cherokee County is part of the 11-county metro-Atlanta area. Cherokee County boasts a population of more than 281,000, according to the July 2022 Census estimates. It is the one of the fastest growing counties in the metro region and its overall Board of Commissioners-controlled tax burden per capita is one of the lowest in the region. Cherokee County has award-winning parks and recreational facilities, is a destination for corporate headquarters and is a great place to live, work and play. Cherokee County is the best of both worlds because it’s where “Metro Meets the Mountains.” Learn more at https://www.cherokeega.com.
