Citizens Telephone Cooperative (Citizens) prides itself on being a community partner. Most recently, Citizens adopted 10 senior citizens who are enrolled in the Agency for Aging “Santa to a Senior” program to provide gifts for the holiday season.
Citizens’ Events Coordinator, Tina Osborne, stated “due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the gifts will be purchased by one person in the company to avoid possible cross-contamination of any kind.” This is quite different from how Citizens would normally handle this event. “Our employees love to give and normally ‘adopt’ the person and take their wish list to purchase the items as a group or department.” The Citizens’ spirit that is normally exhibited during this time of year was not dampened by fewer people being involved. Instead, the company’s marketing department made a Christmas card showing the individuals of each department within the company for the residents. This is just one way Citizens is adapting to keep the holiday spirit alive during this unusual time.
Citizens was able to supply the items listed for each senior citizen. “It was heartwarming to see the needs of these individuals. There was nothing but pure ‘need’ in their requests...toiletries, clothing, cleaning supplies, and pet food just to name a few.” Citizens even added toilet paper to the package of each person to help during the increased wave of COVID cases in the area. The gifts were nicely wrapped in festive gift wrap and delivered to the residents by the Agency on Aging.
Citizens partnership with the Agency on Aging is a fulfilling effort for both organizations. “To know that you are able to make a senior citizen smile and fulfill a need is worth every moment spent.”
For more information, visit www.citizens.coop or call 540.745.2111. Citizens is a member-owned Cooperative providing telephone, Internet, and TV to Floyd County and surrounding communities for over 100 years. Citizens also offers symmetrical business Ethernet, IT Solutions, Home Security Systems as well as Citizens Medical Alert. Citizens is located at 220 Webbs Mill Road in Floyd.
Drive-thru hours are:
8:00 am - 6:00 pm Monday - Friday
9:00 am - 1:00 pm on Saturday
For information about the Agency on Aging, visit www.nrvaoa.org. The NRV Agency on Aging serves Floyd, Giles, Montgomery, and Pulaski counties and the City of Radford.