The Veterans Club at Encanterra in Queen Creek has been gathering Christmas gifts for the resident veterans for the past six years. A Veteran Christmas Tree (like an Angel Tree) is put up in the Encanterra lobby with ornaments. On the ornament is the veteran’s name and three gift wishes. The residents of Encanterra take an ornament and buy gifts. More than 150 gifts will be distributed to the Arizona Veterans Home.
Before the COVID pandemic, the Veterans Club was able to deliver gifts to the veterans in their rooms. Last year, they could only drop off the gifts in the driveway and the staff handed out the gifts, according to Jerry Kolesiak, president of the Veterans Club at Encanterra in Queen Creek.
This year, the Veterans Club will attend the Home’s Christmas Party at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 23 where family members can join in.
"Gifts will be distributed to the veterans at this party. The cost and efforts to make this happen is paid back many times over with big smiles and words of thanks," Kolesiak said. "There are also a few tears from both the veterans and the Encanterra Elves handing out the gifts."
