Tupelo ministry brings Christmas cheer to senior citizens

TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – Christmas was joyful for more than 1,200 residents in senior citizen living centers throughout the region.

Laundry baskets full of gifts including toiletries, clothes, snacks and other goodies were delivered to nursing homes and senior living centers on Christmas Eve.

The ministry is called “Guardian Angels” and began seven years ago when an employee at Magnolia Manor wanted to do something for residents.

Since then, activity director Heather Sartin has enlisted her church, along with many donors and helpers, or Santa’s Elves, to collect and deliver the gifts to seniors for Christmas.

“The Lord placed it on my heart to cover all of the buildings that Hickory Senior Living owned at the time, next year we prayed about it, we branched out and covered buildings we didn’t own and it’s just branched out since then,” said Sartin.

“To me, it’s a good feeling, when I was at home I done most of the giving, my Mom, Dad and everybody, but this is new to me, I don’t have no one to get anything for me, I was the one giving, and it’s a big difference, but I learned to enjoy it,” said Magnolia Manor resident Willie Badie.

Guardian Angel organizes various projects and outreaches for seniors at area retirement homes throughout the entire year.