CHRISTMAS gifts have been delivered to care homes across Teesside thanks to generous Stockton-on-Tees shoppers.
Elderly residents living at The Beeches Care Home, on Green Lane in Stockton-on-Tees, Ingleby Care Home, on Lamb Lane in Ingleby Barwick, and Hazelgrove Court Care Home, on Randolph Street in Saltburn-by-the-Sea, all received presents ready for Christmas day.
The gifts came from shoppers at the Stockton-on-Tees branch of homewares retailer Dunelm following their annual Delivery Joy campaign.
The initiative invites charities, schools, care homes, and community groups to fill out gift tags with the names and ages of those who would appreciate and benefit from a gift at Christmas.
These tags are then placed on a Christmas tree in store, which shoppers pick up, purchase a gift for the named individual, and give it to staff to deliver.
Dozens of gifts were delivered to the three care homes, all part of the Hill Care Group, and have been placed under their Christmas trees ready for 25th December.
Sharon Lewis, activities coordinator at Hazelgrove Court Care Home, said: “We have recently received our gifts and I was totally overwhelmed by the generosity of the public.”
Nicola Bowes, activities coordinator at Ingleby Care Home, said: “I am overwhelmed with everyone’s generosity and I can’t wait to see everyone’s faces when they open them in Christmas day.”
Pam Routledge, a domestic worker at Ingleby Care Home, went to the store to collect the gifts. She added: “The generosity of the public is just so amazing.”
David Rigg, 76, a resident at Hazelgrove Court Care Home, said: “What a wonderful surprise. What a brilliant thing for Dunelm to organise. I cannot wait for Christmas morning to open my gift.”