SENIORS SECRET SERVICE SOCIETY

Organizational Overview

Seniors Secret Service is a Calgary-based charity that delivers programs to isolated seniors in Calgary and the surrounding area. Our mission is to enhance the quality of life for individuals 60 years or older who are alone or isolated in the community. Currently, we provide over 9,500 birthday and Christmas gifts each year to isolated seniors who may otherwise be forgotten.

We are a very small, grassroots organization that employs one full-time Executive Director who reports to the Board of Directors. Our organization relies heavily on volunteers who do everything from creating homemade cards to packing and delivering birthday gifts each month.

We have strong relationships with seniors’ groups, housing facilities, outreach programs, and health care providers; they provide us with the names of seniors they have identified as lacking support systems.

Christmas Cheer
We have a strong relationship with seniors’ groups, housing facilities, outreach programs and health care providers.

Care facilities and partner agencies provide us with an anonymous profile for each senior.

These profiles include gift ideas based on each senior’s needs and personalized profiles for each senior, which are then provided to volunteer “Secret Santas,” who shop for and wrap gifts for their seniors.

The gifts are collected, sorted, and delivered to the care facilities and partner agencies, where the staff distributes them to the seniors.

Birthday Cheer
The program's goal is to extend the spirit of giving year-round in an effort to brighten the lives and improve the spirits of isolated senior citizens. This is accomplished by providing a birthday gift bag for seniors on their birthdays.

Volunteers assembled the gifts at the monthly Birthday Bee and delivered them by staff and volunteers to the appropriate care facilities/partner agencies, where they were distributed at the appropriate time.

Each participating senior receives a gift bag containing a combination of toiletry items such as shampoo and toothpaste, treats such as chocolates and puzzle books, and a personalized handmade card. The average cost of a birthday gift is $20.

Christmas Cheer 2023

 175 care facilities/partner agencies
 6500+ isolated seniors supported
 Secret Santas: 1800 + individuals and 150 Groups/Corporations.
 10000+ Volunteer Hours

Birthday Cheer 2023

We delivered Birthday Cheer to over 3400 isolated seniors in Calgary.

Emergency Care Program
We launched this pilot program late in 2016 to serve the needs of isolated seniors who require support with basic necessities upon entering the hospital or a long-term care facility. Seniors often show up in their pajamas and have nobody to bring them needed items.

Each senior will receive basic essentials, including a basic clothing/shoe package and a toiletry kit appropriate to the senior's needs. We will also include something such as a handmade Thinking of You card or art from school kids to brighten their rooms and let the seniors know that someone cares about their welfare. The cost of this program is covered by donations made to the Seniors Secret Service. A long-term stay package will cost approximately $250 per senior.

Funding:
At this time, we receive no government funding except for a casino fundraiser held every 18-24 months. We do not receive ongoing funding through the United Way. All our funds come from corporate, individual, and foundation donors. Our annual budget is approximately $340,000. We operate with one full-time staff and several seasonal support staff at Christmas.