Reflections on Senior Baskets, the importance of human connection and the power of showing up for one another, from your favorite Gen Z correspondent
Reflection by Kelly Gago, Marketing & Engagement Coordinator
If I were to ask you your biggest fear, what would you say? Heights? Airplanes? Spiders? These are type of fears we can easily admit to, the kind that make our hearts race and stomachs perform a gymnastics routine. But I think there’s a fear we all share but are too scared to admit: the fear of being alone.
Now you might be telling yourself, “I’m an introvert! People make me sick!” And my rebuttal would be to reflect on your time during the 2020 lockdown. During this time of uncertainty even the Bruce Waynes of the world found themselves separated from friends and family and cut off from the everyday interactions we once took for granted, even those who cherished their solitude began to feel the weight of isolation. Suddenly, the silence was louder, the days felt longer, and the simple presence of another person became something precious.
But imagine if that feeling didn’t go away. Imagine waking up every day to an empty house, going hours without speaking to another person, and wondering if anyone even notices your absence. For many seniors in our community, this isn’t something they have to imagine. It’s their everyday reality.
One of my favorite programs at NFCC is our Senior Basket program. Twice a year, seniors in our community receive baskets filled with everyday essentials and seasonal necessities, from cleaning supplies to winter weather gear. But that’s not what makes this program so special to me. It’s the fact that members of our community get to deliver these baskets personally, giving us the opportunity to do more than just drop off supplies. We get to deliver these baskets personally.
For many seniors, transitioning into their later years can be difficult. Their life partners may have passed away, and friends and family may no longer live nearby. The world around them changes, sometimes leaving them physically alone and, at times, feeling forgotten. Because the truth is, as a society, we don’t always give our seniors the attention and appreciation they deserve. We get so caught up in our own busy lives that we forget about the people who have spent decades building the communities we live in today.
When we deliver these baskets, we’re often doing more than bringing someone the things they need. We’re bringing a friendly face, a conversation, and a reminder that someone is thinking about them. Sometimes, that simple interaction can mean more than we realize.
This year, I tagged along with a group of volunteers to capture these moments on camera. Now, I’m no stranger to photography. I’ve been walking around with a camera since my days on my high school yearbook staff. But this might genuinely have been one of my favorite events I’ve ever photographed. And that’s saying something, considering I’ve covered the National Championship at Georgia. Go Dawgs!
But in all seriousness, I think this experience meant so much to me because I have such a big heart for seniors. I think about my own family members and wish they had an organization like NFCC looking out for them. I think about my own future, too. I wonder what life will look like when my friends and family and I become seniors. Will we have people checking in on us? Will someone take the time to make sure we feel seen, valued, and remembered?
And maybe that’s why this program hits so close to home. Because while I may not know exactly what it feels like to grow old, I do know what it feels like to be lonely. I know what it feels like to be in a room full of people and still feel like no one sees you. And I think that’s something many of us can relate to, even if we don’t always talk about it.
That’s what makes these moments so powerful to me. For a little while, we get to remind someone that they matter. That they haven’t been forgotten. That even in a world that sometimes moves too fast to notice, someone took the time to show up for them.
At the end of the day, a senior basket may be temporary, but the feeling of being remembered can last long after the gifts are gone.