Photo of a past Operation Holiday Hearts from Heart of Ida. 

Seniors living in two Long Beach assisted care facilities will receive some heartfelt holiday cheer thanks to local nonprofit The Heart of Ida and The Boeing Company’s Spirit of the Holidays program.

Heart of Ida and The Boeing Company are partnering for the first time to bring 160 seniors living at Long Beach Post Acute and Pacific Villas a personal gift with a value of up to $50, to be funded by The Boeing Company. Facilitated by The Heart of Ida, requests range from gift cards to Target, Walmart and McDonalds to clothing items including shirts, pants and more, according to the release. The gifts will be hand delivered by local school children in December.

“Our Holiday Hearts program is the highlight of our year,” Heart of Ida Executive Director Dina Berg said in a statement. “Seeing those senior faces light up when they realize they have a visitor – with gifts, no less – is incredibly fulfilling. The Boeing sponsorship has taken the program to a whole new level, enabling seniors to choose the gift they’d like most. This may be the only time these members of our community receive a gift – or a visitor– all year, and we’re honored to be a part of that.”

Long Beach-based Heart of Ida helps older adults preserve their independence at home. Their Operation Holiday Hearts program delivers holiday greetings and personal care packages to facility-bound seniors who often go without day-to-day necessities after paying for shelter, utilities, medication and food. Kits are delivered to impoverished seniors who live independently, in board and care facilities and in nursing homes.

Learn more about The Heart of Ida via the website here.