CLAREMORE, Okla. — A local business in Claremore is spreading Christmas cheer to the elderly in their community.
Angel trees are generally used for kids but this year, Rhapsody Boutique and Spa is hosting an elder angel tree.
“It was heartbreaking to see some residents that had family come in and bring them stuff and others didn’t," said angel tree organizer Ceara Fair.
"They just want compassion; they want to be spoken to and talked to and loved."
Fair reached out to several facilities that serve the elderly in town to find out what they needed the most, which turned out to be basic necessities like socks, house shoes and shaving kits.
She said the community has stepped up and made this all possible.
“Most people will come and take an angel and buy specific items or they will bring in huge boxes of socks, shoes, baby dolls," she said.
"They’re just so amazed and happy that somebody is doing this because they’ve never seen it either and that’s why the outpouring of love has been so amazing because they’ve never seen somebody want to do things for the elderly like we do."
Carol Thibodeau is the owner of Rhapsody. She said the idea has been on her heart for years, especially because she helped care for her grandmother in a nursing home. The pandemic didn't allow her to start until this year.
“It feels really great to be able to bless them and I’m actually really looking forward to when we go and give it to them because some of them they don’t have a lot of family or people that visit them so to be able to give them something that’s for them is what I’m really looking forward to," Thibodeau said.
New angels have been added to the tree three times already. They said donations are being accepted until Dec. 15. After that, they will coordinate a date to hand out the gifts before Christmas.
Both said they want this holiday season to be the best one yet for the elderly community and they plan on doing this each year moving forward.
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