Sheriff’s office collecting gifts for senior citizens in the SCAN program

Senior citizen Hazel Bowers giggled with delight when she received unexpected presents delivered by the Sheriff’s Senior Citizen Awareness Network volunteers last Christmas.

SCAN Coordinator E.T. Guice brought the bag of gifts to Bowers and wrapped her with a scarf and toboggan.

“Let me see if I can get my ears covered,” Bowers said as she tried on a toboggan.

Bowers received the presents after Sheriff’s Detention Deputy Lydia Saunders started the drive for SCAN members last year by asking community residents to donate presents to the senior citizens.

Because of the generous support of the community and the joy of the senior citizens, Saunders and the Sheriff’s Office are collecting gifts again for the seniors.

Guice said senior citizens may be forgotten at Christmas because they live alone, often without families to care for them. The gifts show the senior citizens they are not forgotten.

“You can see in their eyes and their faces to know somebody cares,” Guice said. “That’s what I think it means to them. They know someone cares about them at Christmas.”

Saunders said people may donate gifts for the senior citizens until Dec. 18 in a box located in the main lobby of the Sheriff’s Office located at 940 New Salem Highway in Murfreesboro.

Gifts the senior citizens need include:

• Individually wrapped snacks like crackers.
• New stuffed animals.
• Gloves, winter scarves and hats.
• Toiletries such as lotions, shampoo, body wash and hand sanitizers.
• Socks.
• Pillows.
• Coloring books and crayons.
• Large print word puzzles and crossword puzzles.

Deputies and SCAN volunteers will deliver the gifts the week before Christmas.

SCAN volunteers help about 90 Rutherford County senior citizens by checking on their safety and welfare, delivering food and visiting them regularly.