By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Seniors throughout Wood County will soon be getting origami critters, homemade suncatchers and puzzle books delivered to their doors.
Approximately 735 goodie bags were created by members of 23 local 4-H clubs to accompany meals delivered by the Wood County Committee on Aging.
“They were so excited,” Jenny Morlock, of the OSU Extension Office in Wood County, said of the 4-H members. “They just took this project and ran with it.”
Boxes and boxes of the goodie bags were dropped off Wednesday morning at the senior center production kitchen – with the first batches to go out with today’s lunches.
“Seniors like little gifts from kids,” said Angie Bradford, director of food service for the Wood County Committee on Aging. “They spent a lot of time on these.”
Bradford had just a couple stipulations for the contents of the goodie bags.
“I prefer no glitter or googly eyes,” she said with a smile.
Inside the colorfully decorated bags were treasures like homemade bookmarks, pens with big flowers springing from the top, origami animals, painted clothespins, bright ceramic tiles, suncatchers, puzzle books and cookies. Some bags included items like chapstick and hand cream. And sugar-free candy was tucked in for seniors with diabetes.
“This will brighten their days,” Bradford said.
The idea for the goodie bags was born during the COVID pandemic, Morlock said.
“Over COVID we started the postal project for people sheltering here at home,” she said. “That was such a success that I wanted to reach out in other ways.”
The 4-H members used their imaginations to fill the bags.
“The kids came up with their own ideas,” Morlock said.
The first batches of the bags were to be delivered with lunches by volunteer Jayne Roth, retired 4-H coordinator for the county – joined by Morlock and Sara Foos, also of the county 4-H program.
Once all the 585 seniors on the home-delivered meal routes get goodie bags, the remainder will be distributed to the local senior centers that serve congregate meals, Bradford said.
