Joslyn Center collecting personal necessities to provide holiday cheer to homebound seniors

The Joslyn Center is looking to spread a little holiday cheer to homebound seniors and you can help!

"The holidays can be a difficult time for many low-income seniors as isolation and depression can often lead to mental and physical health deterioration, especially during the holiday season when many feel forgotten and alone," reads a news release from the group.

The Joslyn Center has started to collect personal necessities at its building located at 73750 Catalina Way in Palm Desert.

The center is asking for the community to solicit unused, full-size donations of items such as toothpaste, body wash, body lotion, mouthwash, toilet paper, paper towels, and other items for seniors to use in their personal care or around the home.  

The center's Holiday Giving Tree is up and decorated with ornaments listing the name and gift “wish list” of Meals on Wheels recipients. Anyone wishing to participate needs to only select an ornament and register their name and the name of the recipient at our reception desk.

Participants purchase one or more of the gifts on the “wish list”, wrap them and deliver them back to The Joslyn Center for distribution.

The center asks that Personal Necessity items and wrapped gifts be dropped off at The Joslyn Center by 4:00 PM on Wednesday, December 8. They will be distributed the following week.

“Our goal is to make sure that no frail, homebound senior receiving meals through our Meals on Wheels program feels alone and forgotten during this holiday season”, stated Jack Newby, Executive Director.

“The past two years have been especially difficult with COVID restrictions further isolating our local seniors. We want to make sure they are not forgotten during the holidays”, said Melanie Lyons, Joslyn Program Director who is coordinating this program.

For more ideas on Personal Necessity items, contact Mealnie Lyons, Program Director at 760-340-3220 x102.