Roughly a dozen volunteers convened in late December to assemble more than 500 gift bags for the Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services holiday bag program. The gift bags were decorated by local students, and were distributed to Meals on Wheels recipients in Cambridge and Somerville.

Meals on Wheels provided a special delivery for roughly 500 people in late December, thanks to local students and volunteers for the Somerville Cambridge Elder Services (SCES) holiday bag program.

Assembled by roughly a dozen volunteers on Dec. 20, each holiday bag included an assortment of snacks, a calendar and greeting card. It’s an SCES tradition that every Meals on Wheels client receives one of those bag during the holidays, explained SCES Community Meals Director Deborah McLean.

“This is really about giving them a thoughtful gift,” said McLean. “We hope it provides them a nice lift during this time of year, when many people can feel somewhat isolated.”

Most of the snacks were collected through donations. The actual gift bags were decorated by students at the Winter Hill Community Innovation School and Prospect Hill Academy. McLean thanked the students and volunteers for making the delivery possible.

“We really appreciate their efforts, and I think the recipients will too,” said McLean. “The students did a fabulous job with the artwork.”

McLean said the holiday bags essentially wrap-up another busy year for the Meals Program, which includes the monthly Brown Bag grocery supplement program, Farmers Market coupon distributions in the summer, and ongoing nutrition counseling that helps people prevent and control diseases. She said the holiday bags are a nice change of pace for the end of the year.
“So much of what we do every day is focused on what people need,” she said. “This is fun.”

Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services (SCES) is a non-profit agency that supports the independence and well-being of older people in Somerville and Cambridge. For more information, about Meals on Wheels and other nutrition programs, contact the SCES Aging Information Center at 617-628-2601. For information about volunteering to support SCES programs, call 617-628-2601, x3051.