AHCS To Kick Off “Sweaters for Seniors” August 10 At Chick-Fil-A
August 7th, 2009Snellville, GA August 7, 2009 – Alternative Home Care for Seniors announced today that two Chick-Fil-A restaurants in Snellville will join them in their mission to once again warm-up Gwinnett County Senior Services. Chick-Fil-A at Hwy 124 and Hwy 78 will serve as collection points August 10-31, 2009. New and like-new cotton/blend sweater donations are requested for hypoallergenic reasons.
The 2nd Annual “Sweaters for Seniors” was started by Alternative Home Care for Seniors (AHCS) last year. “We were looking for a way our small business could contribute to seniors in our community and came up with the idea,” explains Derrick Merchant, co-owner, AHCS.
Thanks to the help of local media, ‘Sweaters gained the attention of the Galloway School in Atlanta and raised more than 250+ donations in 2008. With more knit pieces than imagined, the program looked to find an organization with a serious need.
Enter Gary Galloway, Volunteer Services Coordinator for Gwinnett County Seniors Services who gladly received many of the donations. “The sweaters were given to seniors facing the dilemma of keeping prescriptions filled before Medicare deductibles were met. They also had to turn down their heat due to increased bills,” explains Galloway. “Many seniors get cold from medications that thin the blood too.”
“To grow the much needed program in 2009, we sought out a business partner who could provide added foot traffic and give people more opportunities to donate,” says Sharna Fulton, Marketing Director for AHCS. “Sweaters for Seniors seemed to especially touch women who went through their closets to find new or like-new sweaters they never wear, but could really help a senior.”
As for Chick-Fil-A? “We couldn’t ask for a better partner,” explains Derrick Merchant, ACHS. “They’re a respected business in Snellville and also where family and friends come together in our community.”
Alternative Home Care for Seniors is a privately owned home care agency that helps seniors remain independent in their own home. AHCS has provided companionship and personal care to seniors throughout Gwinnett and all major metro Atlanta counties since 2002.
Gwinnett County Senior Services is the contracted provider of aging services for Gwinnett County. Its mission is to help seniors maintain their independent living status. For more information on the 2nd Annual Sweaters for Seniors, please call Sharna Fulton@ 404-663-8450 or email her at sharna.fulton@att.net For sweater donations, call our office @ 770-736-7977.

