The La Mesa Chamber of Commerce thanks the public, members, and friends for making this year’s annual senior project an overwhelming success.

People drove from throughout the region to donate items for the Chamber’s gift baskets and bags that were delivered Dec. 8-16 to La Mesa homebound seniors. Each year, the Chamber works with the La Mesa Police Department and the Retired Senior Volunteer Patrol to distribute gifts. This year they had 64 bags, boxes and filled stockings to deliver.

The La Mesa Chamber allocates funds to assist these seniors and were joined by the following financial partners who donated cash and gift cards: Kyle Nyswonger of Carl Burger Dodge Chrysler Jeep RAM World, Darsi Bakker of PenChecks, Inc., Debbie Caringi, Michelle Huey of Pete’s Place, Lily Pigg of Lily’s Manufactured Homes, Tracey Ferguson, Gloria Shepard, Sandy Small, and Linda Williams. In addition to these cash donations and gift cards, this year the Chamber collected canned food, calendars, toiletries, notepads, soaps, shampoos, stationery, clothing, socks, tissues, blankets, and other articles for a grand total of 1,387 items. The Chamber receives all the items and wraps them in gift baskets and bags that are delivered to each senior. Thanks go out to EDCO, and Sycuan Casino Resort for donating the bags that make this distribution possible. In addition to these needed items, the Chamber was honored to receive beautiful handmade “stuffed” Christmas stockings from the Pioneers, a volunteer network of AT&T.

These folks worked tirelessly throughout the year making those handmade Christmas stockings, then stuff them with items such as shampoo, conditioner, body lotion, socks, wafers, lip balm, and more. The Pioneers donate these stockings to various organizations during the holidays. The Chamber enlisted the help of Maggie Eggers, Sandy Eggleton, and Dennis England to pack the items in their vehicles and deliver them to the Police Department.

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