Local WoodmenLife Chapter Brings Christmas Cheer to Eagle Ridge Personal Care Home Residents

By Emily Wright

BALD EAGLE TOWNSHIP — The spirit of the holiday season was palpable at Eagle Ridge Personal Care Home located along the Renovo Road, as WoodmenLife Chapter 691 of Howard made a generous donation to them last weekend. Residents were treated to Christmas care packages from the chapter in a heartwarming display of community support.

With a focus on giving back to the community, members of WoodmenLife Chapter 691, Howard, turned to elderly members in the community. This thoughtful act was part of the chapter’s quarterly theme: family.

Over 20 wrapped Christmas care packages filled with personalized items such as homemade blankets, cards, puzzle books, razors, nail polish, and chapstick, among other items, were provided to the residents at Eagle Ridge Personal Care Home. 

The Record spoke with WoodmenLife Chapter 691 treasurer, Beth Wetzel, to learn more about the inspiration behind the Christmas care packages given to residents at the personal care home. “We decided to do care packages for Christmas time because some residents don’t have family members who visit regularly,” she said. Chapter members aimed to fulfill a need while also spreading Christmas cheer and generosity. 

The Christmas care packages were made possible through donations collected at an awards banquet held by the chapter in September of this year. In addition to those donations, members of the chapter went shopping to purchase more items to include in each package before wrapping and then delivering them to the residents. 

On Sunday, December 10th, members of the WoodmenLife Chapter 691 visited Eagle Ridge Personal Care Home to deliver the care packages to the residents. Unfortunately, due to a few residents contracting COVID-19, they were unable to personally witness the impact of their donation. However, this did not stop them from spreading kindness and appreciation to the hardworking staff members at the personal care home, who had the additional task of caring for sick residents. “We brought donuts and coffee to the staff members along with the care package delivery on Sunday morning,” Beth shared.

Established in 1890, WoodmenLife is a not-for-profit life insurance company that aims to help protect the financial future of families while also making a meaningful difference in hometowns across America. The community-based organization is dedicated to promoting the values of family, community, and country. The WoodmenLife chapter in Howard, PA is primarily made up of members residing in the tri-county area. 

Some key aspects of the organization are its focus on social, civic, charitable, educational, patriotic, and voluntary service activities. This includes partnerships with local schools, fire departments, and other charitable organizations, all in an effort to improve the community for everyone.

When asked about the impact that members of Chapter 691 hoped to have on Eagle Ridge residents by gifting them with Christmas care packages, Beth emphasized, “We really just hope to make their day and their holidays a little brighter, and to let them know that there are people out there who care about them.”

Members of WoodmenLife Chapter 691 have shown their dedication to giving back to the community in various ways, some of which include coordinating road clean-ups, making food donations to local organizations such as “Your Guardian Angel” and other local food banks, and donating to local fire departments. The chapter also puts a strong emphasis on patriotism, “We present history awards and flags to different schools, we do flag presentations, and we host a Memorial Day ceremony,” Beth added.

In regards to upcoming initiatives to support the community, Beth shared that the Howard-based chapter organizes its plans every quarter with themes such as community service, addressing hunger, promoting patriotism, and focusing on families. Moving forward, they are committed to maintaining strong partnerships with nearby organizations.

WoodmenLife Chapter 691’s recent gesture of providing Christmas care packages to the residents of Eagle Ridge Personal Care Home serves as a testament to the strength of coming together as a community and the significance of simple acts of compassion. Undoubtedly, both the residents and staff of the care home were touched by the chapter’s generosity this holiday season.

To learn more about WoodmenLife Chapter 691 in Howard, PA, visit the website at: https://www.woodmenlife.org/chapter/PA691/