Cheers to Our Birthday Superstars at Tuesday Seniors Lunch

🎉Cheers to our birthday superstars at Tuesday Seniors Lunch!🥳

Every month at Tuesday Seniors Lunch, we take time to recognize and celebrate the wonderful birthdays in our community.

Omnia, our Seniors Program Coordinator and Settlement Worker, shares the story of how this monthly birthday celebration began:

Mount Pleasant Neighbourhood House supports senior volunteers Naseem, Darlina, and Mila in leading the Birthday Project through the Neighbourhood Small Grant (NSG). This initiative was created to reach and celebrate isolated seniors in our community, especially in response to the social isolation brought on by COVID-19.

Before the pandemic, Mila, now in her 80s, would personally celebrate fellow seniors’ birthdays by bringing a cake from Anna’s Cake, a handmade birthday card, a large chocolate bar, and beautifully crafted monthly banners, all out of her own pocket.

When the pandemic hit and in-person gatherings stopped, Naseem and Darlina were inspired to carry forward Mila’s tradition. With support from MPNH, they applied for the NSG and began delivering birthday gifts to seniors at home with the help of volunteers. For nearly a year, this brought joy to many, even during lockdowns. While they later tried mailing gift cards, it became too costly to sustain.

Once in-person Tuesday Seniors Lunches resumed, they were able to recreate Mila’s original idea, now as a monthly event. Seniors with birthdays that month are invited to a special celebration during lunch. Each celebrant receives a free lunch, a birthday card, and is serenaded with “Happy Birthday” by the whole room, followed by a fun Bingo game enjoyed by all.

What began with just a handful of celebrants has now grown to nearly 20 each month, a heartwarming reminder of the power of community, tradition, and connection.