HARRINGTON, Maine — The holiday season can be one of the loneliest times of the year, especially for those who don't have a lot of contact with family and friends.
An assisted living facility in Washington County is asking for the public's help to make Christmas special for some of its residents—one card at a time.
The Grace Home in Harrington is literally a home away from home for its 16 residents. Susan Pomeroy has lived at this assisted living facility for more than a year.
"I like it, I like the staff, and I have made a lot of friends," Pomeroy said.
Pomeroy is originally from Oakland. Her granddaughter and great-granddaughter will make the trip to Washington County to visit her on Christmas, but others are not as fortunate.
Heather Hanson is one of the facility's administrators.
"I have some that don't have a family, so they never get phone calls, they never get visits," Hanson explained.
To help ease the sting around the holidays, Kala Young, a nursing assistant at the facility, put a post on Facebook asking people to send in Christmas cards, including homemade ones.
More than 60 cards have poured in from as far away as California and Virginia—all from complete strangers.
A number of residents have medical problems, including disabilities, but staff said they are always aware when another resident gets a Christmas card and they don't.
"I do feel they are lonely and they would enjoy that outside contact," Pomeroy said.
The hope is to fill up Christmas stockings for residents at the facility to open on Christmas Day.
"It makes them feel like people are thinking about them and helps them feel less lonely," Young said.
You can send Christmas cards to the Grace Home at 95 Willey District Road, Harrington, ME 04643.
Young said the Grace Home will accept cards beyond the Christmas season and still give them to residents.