Madeline Lowry

Madeline Lowry said she found the spirit of Christmas while

inundated in presents, wrapping paper and ribbon.

The 81-year-old Costa Mesa resident is one of the many volunteers

who took her time to wrap hundreds of gifts for those senior citizens

who celebrate the holiday at their home away from home, the Costa

Mesa Senior Center.

Although the repetitive motion of covering dozens of presents

could be viewed as a holiday chore, Lowry said it was just another

day of helping out.

“I was walking by and I saw all the gifts and the paper, so I

stopped in to help,” said Lowry, who volunteers every Monday morning

at the center’s gift shop.

The senior center collected moderately priced, unwrapped gifts

that were not specific to gender, such as classic movies, stationery,

puzzles, games and blankets. Each gift will be handed out at the

center’s annual holiday party.

Lowry said she can’t even recall how many presents she wrapped,

but there was a nice variety that should make many people very happy

come Christmas Eve.

With each snip of the scissors and folding of paper, Lowry was

reminded of the joy that volunteerism brings. She said she loves

working in the gift shop, conversations with center members and

helping out when possible.

“I retired a couple of years ago, and if you take all that time

away, you have to do something,” Lowry said. “It is just something

you kind of do. It isn’t just Christmas time. We volunteer all year.”

-- Story by Lolita Harper,

photo by Don Leach