Handmade creations build special connections between Burnaby students and seniors

Hundreds of Burnaby seniors will receive an extra boost of holiday cheer this season, as the City of Burnaby partners once again with the IAK (Intentional Acts of Kindness) Foundation and the Burnaby School District on the Operation Elf program.

Throughout the year, staff from Citizen Support Services deliver grocery orders to Burnaby seniors. This holiday season, as part of Operation Elf, the deliveries include hand-crafted holiday greetings, drawings, poems and other holiday creations handmade by Burnaby students from kindergarten to Grade 12. More than 2,000 Burnaby elementary and secondary students participated.

“Burnaby is a city where we look out for each other and care for each other,” said Mayor Mike Hurley. “This project is a great example of how our residents step up to connect with and support their neighbours.”

“These uplifting holiday cards bring happiness to both the students who create them and the seniors who receive them,” said Burnaby Board of Education Chair Bill Brassington. “This is one of many projects in schools that remind us that we are all connected and that acts of kindness are important in creating inclusive communities. We are grateful for the partnerships that enhance our communities beyond the walls of our schools.”

These holiday creations are coordinated by the IAK Foundation and their volunteers who also deliver over 2,500 uniquely crafted cards to care centres and food banks throughout Burnaby. Along with each card, seniors will receive a silicone bracelet with the message “Loved & Never Alone” as a reminder the community cares for them. At the same time, students involved in the project will receive a bracelet with the message “Kindness Ambassador”. 

“We found that as simple as these bracelets are, they build community connections and make both the students and seniors feel part of a bigger, more supportive and connected community,” said Chris Revitt, manager of Park Operations for the City of Burnaby and co-founder and volunteer for the IAK Foundation. “They will see other students or community members out in public wearing the same bracelet and know that they are part of a larger community.” 

Operation Elf builds on the success of the Sunshine Notes program, which started in 2020 to spread cheer to seniors who were isolating due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Learn more: Burnaby.ca/citizensupportservices