Community Corner

Presents for Patients Brings Holiday Cheer to Long-Term Care Facilities

Rocky Bleier, Pirates, First National Bank and Mars VFW participate in annual holiday campaign with visits and gifts for patients.

What do outfielder Jose Tabata, starting pitcher Jeff Karstens and broadcaster Greg Brown of the Pittsburgh Pirates have in common with , the Mars VFW and First National Bank?

All brought smiles to the residents of long-term care facilities in the past few days through the program.

Presents for Patients is a fund-raising program and community outreach division of  in Richland Township that was founded in 1984 by St. Barnabas President William V. Day to see that every patient in a long-term care facility receives a holiday visit or a gift. 

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The Pirates created a Christmas smile for Evelyn McCracken, a resident of Beaver Valley Nursing & Rehabilitation Center and a huge Pirates fan who watches every game. She requested a visit by a Pirates player.  

Rocky Bleier visited veterans at the Mars VFW, then they teamed up to visit and deliver gifts to more than 25 veterans at and Valencia Woods at St. Barnabas. 

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First National Bank collected a vanload of presents at its third annual Lifestyle 50 Holiday Luncheon on Saturday at La Casa Narcisi Winery in West Deer Township.

For the third consecutive years, First National Bank has been involved with Presents for Patients. Each year, bank customers participate by donating gifts to the program. The luncheon combined customer appreciation with opportunities to give back to the community. 

The goal of Presents for Patients has always been to touch the lives of nursing home patients through kindness and generosity of spirit.

Last year, with the help of 322 businesses and groups, the program touched the lives of 27,482 individuals in nursing homes and assisted-living and personal-care facilities in Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, West Virginia and Tennessee.

Since the program’s inception, more than 430,000 patients have received gifts and visits during the holidays.

For more information and to learn how you can donate and/or participate, call 724-444-5521 or visit www.PRESENTSFORPATIENTS.com.


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