Silver Bells is a project organized by local ombudsmen to help residents celebrate the holidays. Many long-term care residents no longer have family or friends to celebrate with during the holidays. There are 15 local ombudsman programs in KY and some have already announced their plans to help residents celebrate the holidays. You can make a difference in someone’s life with a small gift and a message that they are loved and valued.

Pennyrile

The Pennyrile District Ombudsman Program was the first local long-term care ombudsman program to honor residents with a gift program 15 years ago. Their program continues to operate under the original name, “Forgotten Angels”, in Caldwell, Christian, Crittenden, Hopkins, Livingston, Lyon, Muhlenberg, Todd and Trigg counties. The Pennyrile program is collecting donations for residents of personal care homes.

Organizer Cindy Tabor says, “We focus on this group of residents because they seem to be most forgotten by friends, family and society. We ask residents for one wish, $25.00 and under.  We place the “Forgotten Angel” on the tree anonymously.  People from the community come to the Pennyrile Area Development District Office at 300 Hammond Drive in Hopkinsville to select a “Forgotten Angel” (or several) off the tree in our outer lobby.”

Cindy also collects and distributes stocking stuffers. Donors can contribute snacks, games, activity books or kits, stationery/journals, and other items like lap blankets and personal hygiene products. For more information contact the Pennyrile District Ombudsman Cindy Tabor at 270-886-9484 or email Cindy.tabor@ky.gov

Bluegrass

The Bluegrass District Ombudsman Program is celebrating their 13th annual Silver Bells gift campaign with a goal to deliver gifts to 800 residents in Anderson, Bourbon, Boyle, Clark, Estill, Fayette, Franklin, Garrard, Harrison, Jessamine, Lincoln, Madison, Mercer, Nicholas, Powell, Scott, and Woodford Counties.

They are collecting blankets, coloring/activity books, markers/pencils, lotion, chapstick, and individually wrapped snacks to create gift bags for residents.  The community can shop their Amazon Wish List or drop items off at their office at 3138 Custer Drive, Suite 110, Lexington, KY.  Or, you sponsor a gift bag for $25 per resident.  Please deliver your gifts by December 10. For more information contact NHOA Executive Director Denise Wells at 859-277-9215 or email denise@ombuddy.org

Buffalo Trace

The Buffalo Trace District Ombudsman Program is collecting gifts for nursing home residents in Mason, Lewis, Bracken, Fleming, and Robertson counties. For more information contact Amanda Grooms, Buffalo Trace District Ombudsman, at 606-564-6894 or by email atagrooms@btadd.com

Purchase

The Purchase District Ombudsman Program is preparing for Silver Bells, a special holiday project where the community donates holiday gifts for isolated and lonely residents in nursing, personal care, and family care homes.

The Purchase District Ombudsman program serves residents of long-term care facilities in Ballard, Calloway, Carlisle, Fulton, Graves, Hickman, Marshall, and McCracken counties. Traci Lawrence, the Purchase District LTC Ombudsman is collecting donations for gifts to be distributed to residents. For more information contact Traci Lawrence at 270-251-6120 or by email at traci.lawrence@purchaseadd.org.

Lake Cumberland

The Lake Cumberland District Ombudsman Program is collecting gifts for residents of family care homes in Adair, Casey, Clinton, Cumberland, Green, McCreary, Pulaski, Russell, Taylor and Wayne counties.

For more information contact Mandy Weston, the Lake Cumberland District Ombudsman, at 270-866-4200 or by email at mandy@lcadd.org