LARSO is putting together care packages for seniors. Photo Courtesy LARSO

BY BERNADETTE LAURITZEN
Executive Director
Los Alamos Retired And Senior Organization

As this period of isolation continues, we find some of our seniors in need of a morale boost. My motto through this time has been the old adage, light work for many hands, so the senior centers’ next phase of effort, will have us preparing care packages. These are for our senior citizens that could use a bright spot in their day.

If you are able, we’d love to have store bought individually wrapped treats or candies, sugar free ones welcome too. Could you provide mini sodas, water bottles, or bottled juices or teas? Hydration is very important during this time for people of all ages, so sometimes, we need to get creative for how to accomplish the goal.

We would love those word search and crossword puzzle magazines or new-ish jigsaw puzzles, some still sealed would be ideal for special cases. Do you have new decks of cards, relatively new magazines or books? Do you have any blank cards and matching envelopes that might encourage seniors them to put pen to paper? We should all be journaling about this time. 

We are asking that you don’t just drop off old, garage sale types items. We don’t have the room to store them and our free table is on hiatus, for the foreseeable future.

Handmade cards or drawings, add a name and the age if they are children. In a perfect world, I would love some pet rocks! I would love small art creations put on smooth stones or nice sayings painted on them. We will make mini gift bags and get them to seniors that need a boost.

Donations can be made to the centers to cover unexpected costs. We simply mean small donations of $5 with checks made to LARSO and Senior Services in the subject line. This allows us to pick up small items that could make someone’s day. Great kindness can be shown in many ways.

Grocery wise, we currently look for the donations of hand sanitizer, the bathroom pump soap dispensers and bottles of rubbing alcohol. Those donations are always needed and can be distributed daily. As we look forward to a period of coming together, there are needs yet unknown. We thank the community for helping to keep us ahead in this game.

Questions can be directed to (505) 662-8920 and adults 60 and older can join the senior centers for free.