Many in the Southern Utah County area made sure that local senior citizens were taken care of during the holiday season, by participating in what is called, Adopt-A-Grandparent. This fundraising event happens in many locations throughout the state and nation, but Mindy Sherrow of Santaquin, took it upon herself to start something locally.
“Each holiday season, we host our Adopt-A-Grandparent fundraiser to ensure that seniors in our communities are not forgotten,” Sherrow said. “Through this initiative, we partner with businesses and individuals across the United States to bring love, dignity, and holiday cheer to elderly residents living in nursing homes and assisted living facilities.
“With the help of our incredible community, we collect and deliver gifts prior to Christmas. Each gift includes essential items such as socks, lotion, and other donated necessities, along with a handwritten Christmas card. When possible, volunteers also visit residents in person—surprising some as Secret Santas and creating meaningful moments of connection and joy.”
Sherrow mentioned many local businesses that stepped in to help, saying that “because of this collective generosity, nearly twice as many seniors felt remembered and cared for this Christmas season.”
“We are especially excited to have connected with new business partners who are eager to collaborate and expand this initiative next year, so even more elderly individuals can feel valued, loved, and remembered during the holidays,” she said.
Making sure that the elderly are taken care of, is personal to Sherrow, who said that she has had many experiences taking care of family members in their later stages of life.
“For me, my reasons for wanting to get involved were because of my grandmother and my father,” she said. “My grandmother had a stroke when I was young, which left her with a handicap.
“Being a young person who cared for my grandmother who once cared for me, it touched my heart when others would share this type of care for someone I loved. I remember spending many hours with my grandmother and seeing how difficult it was for her to lose her abilities and independence. I remember my father showing much love and making many sacrifices for her.”
It was recently when Sherrow found herself in the position of taking care of her own father, just like he took care of his mother. She said seeing others who were not family who stepped in to help, gave her the push she needed to be that help for someone else’s grandparent.
“A few years ago, my father ended up in a similar situation where he had many medical needs,” Sherrow said. “He lost his ability to walk and talk and had to relearn these basic things. He fought so hard, but there were some points when he couldn’t even eat for a time. Suddenly, I was in my father’s situation (that he was in with his mom) and had to make many sacrifices to help him. This type of thing was so important to help him with morale and to fight the very difficult battles he was facing.
“I appreciated those who didn’t even know my dad and my grandma, but showed love and did little things to help lift the burdens of the patients and their families.”
Sherrow said that the 2025 fundraiser was able to raise enough funds to help 30 seniors. And while the fundraiser this year is over, she said that she will open things up in the late summer or fall, with all proceeds going to getting supplies for the grandparents.
For more information, inquiries can be sent to kardiokidzusa@gmail.com
