Even thought it has been unseasonably warm outside, people are still stringing up their lights, strapping Christmas trees to their cars, and enjoying around-the-clock holiday music. Here at Coastline, we are also in the holiday spirit. From November through the New Year, we are busy planning parties and feasts in many of our programs.

Project Access

     The ladies in the Project Access program enjoyed a festive night out, complete with a Thanksgiving feast and entertainment in late November. Hosted by the Association for the Relief of Aged Women (the program’s funder), all 180 women were invited to White’s of Westport to enjoy a family-style Thanksgiving meal and the music of Bobby Justin, a local entertainer. 

     Project Access’s goal is to provide elderly women, who live alone, with trips and events so they can socialize with their peers. Project Access holds a variety of trips and events each year, ensuring they accommodate women of all ages and mobility levels.

     To learn more about Project Access, you can visit their page here, or call the Program Coordinator, Sharon O’Malley at 508-999-6400 ext. 107.

Meals on Wheels

     Every year, hundreds of dedicated volunteers come together to cook and deliver homemade Thanksgiving meals to more than a thousand local seniors. Volunteers meet at Greater New Bedford Vocational Technical High School to prepare a mouthwatering menu. This year’s menu included turkey & gravy, dressing, whipped potatoes, butternut squash, peas & carrots, rolls, cranberry sauce, and apple crisp (made from scratch). From there, hundreds of volunteers pick up the packaged meals and deliver them to homebound seniors.

     We are grateful to, and wish to thank all of the volunteers who came out, and our community partners, including the Dartmouth Council on Aging, New Bedford Housing Authority, New Bedford Council on Aging, Supportive Housing at Tripp Towers, New Bedford Board of Health, GNB Vocational Technical H.S., Yellow Taxi, Long Plain Baptist Church, District Court Officers, and E.L. Sylvia Farms of Dighton.

     Elderly Nutrition is now gearing up for our Christmas Day program, which isn’t as big as the Thanksgiving meal program yet, but grows larger every year. Almost 500 homemade meals are prepared and delivered to seniors on Christmas Day, made possible by the Bristol County Sherriff’s Department, Holy Name Church, the New Bedford Council on Aging , several area nursing homes, and private donors.

Foster Grandparents Program

     With Christmas right around the corner, the Foster Grandparents enjoyed their annual holiday celebration. Decked out in their best holiday clothes, the Grandparents enjoyed a morning full of food and fun, including a lighter, alcohol-free egg nog prepared by our dietitian Kim Ferreira. You can find the recipe below:

8 cups of vanilla soy milk

3 oz package of sugar free, fat free vanilla pudding

1-2 tsp. of vanilla extract

1-2 tsp. of rum extract (optional)

Cinnamon & nutmeg (to taste)

     The Foster Grandparents devote hundreds of hours a year to mentoring children throughout the community, and they are greatly appreciated by the children and teachers that they work with. The Foster Grandparents Program is currently recruiting new volunteers. To learn more about this opportunity, call Christine Voss at 508-999-6400 ext. 198.

Money Management Program

     The Money Management volunteers also gathered in Saxon Hall for their annual holiday party. Volunteers enjoyed a feast of breakfast pastries, bagels, coffee, and tea. Volunteers were recognized for their years of service and were all entered into a raffle where they won gift cards, books, gift baskets, and other great prizes. The Money Management volunteers work with dozens of seniors across the Southcoast to help them organize and pay their bills.

     If you are interested in becoming a Money Management volunteer, please contact Jan Bergeron at 508-999-6400 ext. 180. Jan does her best to match volunteers with seniors who live in the same town as volunteers.

Holiday Giving Wreath

     Every year, here at Coastline, the staff who work closely with seniors, ask many of them if they have any Christmas wishes. Case Managers and other staff members gather up the requests and attach them to our Giving Wreath (a twist on our past Giving Tree), and then many staff and Board members go out and purchase and wrap the gift so staff can deliver it for Christmas. It’s a great way to give back and to give seniors something to open on Christmas morning.

     All in all, it’s been a great year here at Coastline, and we look forward to ringing in 2012 by continuing to provide older adults and individuals with disabilities, living throughout the Southcoast, with programs and in-home services that meet their needs and allow them to continue living independently.

     And don’t forget, it’s not too late to make a  donation to Coastline to receive a tax deduction for 2011. You can donate through our homepage by clicking on the “donate” button, or by mailing a check, made payable to Coastline Elderly Services, Inc. to 1646 Purchase Street, New Bedford, MA 02740.

    And, from all of us at Coastline, we hope you enjoy a happy and healthy holiday and New Year!