Albion, NE – (DEC 2021) Applied Connective, Albion, Norfolk and Columbus, got in the spirit of giving again this holiday season. What’s been a challenging couple of years for all was devastating for some, particularly for the elderly population. This marks the fifth year that the local managed technology service provider teamed up with local nursing homes in “making spirits bright.”
Applied Connective collaborates with two local nursing home activities directors to collect the wish lists of each and every resident at Mid-Nebraska Lutheran Home (Newman Grove) and Good Samaritan Wolf Memorial (Albion). The residents enjoy creating lists and fashioning them into ornaments, which are then picked up by Applied Connective and displayed on their lobby Christmas tree. Participating employees select one or several residents for whom to buy Christmas presents.
On a normal year, Applied Connective staff and their children would deliver the gifts personally to their assigned residents on the day of the nursing home Christmas parties. Last year’s events necessitated a contactless delivery. The team hopes to be able to deliver them in person at their respective Christmas parties later this week.
“We love this tradition,” says Applied Connective IT Service Desk Manager Sara Rasmussen, who plays an instrumental role in facilitating the annual gifting spree. “The holidays are a time of great joy for many, but they can be a time of aching loneliness for many others. While our local nursing homes are nothing short of amazing, going into a senior care facility means leaving your own home and losing much of your independence and hence many of your holiday traditions.”
“Living a long life is a privilege denied to many,” adds Applied Connective President Ed Knott. “But it also means you’ve survived many of your loved ones, so these times can feel very isolating and lonely. We want to bring some of that joy back into the holidays and remind these seniors that they are remembered and cherished. The past two years especially, we’ve all recognized how important human connection is. And with many of them enduring months of isolation, we felt it was more important than ever before to connect with these seniors, many of whom spent decades being ‘Santa Claus’ for their own families.”