The true spirit of Christmas is that of spreading love and kindness during this festive season. This year, the Rotaract Club of APIIT decided to embark upon a special Christmas project; one that was held last year as well. Project ‘Sleigh Bells Ring – 2.0’, chaired by Rtr. Ashan Weerasinhe, was conducted on the 17th of December 2022 at the Vincent De Paul Elder’s Home in Kandana.
We visited this elder’s home last year as well, and it was indeed lovely to meet our dear elders once again! This project aimed to spend quality time with our senior citizens, who almost every year, spend Christmas behind the closed doors of the elder’s home. We prepared food, sweet treats, dry rations for the elders, and a toe-tapping musical and guitar performance. Our club members spoke and spent quality time with the dear elders, engaging in intimate conversations with them and performing Christmas carols and songs to spread the joy of Christmas. The elders were delighted with our performances and sang along with us as they laughed and clapped to the beautiful festive tunes. Afterwards, they thanked us for the lovely gifts and for coming to visit them once again.
It was a wonderful experience to lighten the hearts of the elders at the Vincent De Paul Elder’s Home. Often, these elders have been neglected by their own children; hence, they spend their old age in solitude. Our amazing club members also embarked upon this project this year because they were deeply touched by the stories and moments they spent with the elders. As dusk dawned, we wished to spend a few more hours with the lovely senior citizens. However, we hope to visit them again next year with more exciting and compassionate projects! It was indeed a heart-touching and memorable day for both the elders and our club members!
Penned by
Rtr. Suhansi Fernando
Rotaract Club of APIIT
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