Nancy MacDonald - Volunteerism

Nancy MacDonald, of Enfield, was nominated as a volunteer who has "a lot of heart."

Nancy says she was spotted as a likely volunteer by a woman at her soon-to-be husband’s church, fifty years ago. Nancy says "She asked me to bake for the church and I’ve been volunteering ever since."

Nancy has been recognized by many organizations over the years for her volunteerism, and her interests and associations are many and varied. But one volunteer role in particular is very close to her heart, and that is the one we’d like to highlight here today.

Each year, Nancy answers all the children’s Letters to Santa that pass through Enfield’s Canada Post outlet. Nancy says she began answering the letters using the provided templates, but quickly realized that in families with several children, the letters were too similar to suit her, and not personal enough to be believable. She decided to start giving them a more personal touch, and for a while even purchased her own paper to give them a more authentic look until the paper was provided for her.

Some years that has meant that Nancy has handwritten as many as 400 individual letters, each customized to the children’s own requests. In many cases, Nancy embellishes the letters with details about the child’s own family using details that only Santa - and perhaps also Nancy, as a busy community volunteer and longtime resident - could know. She says she writes some every night before going to bed, once winter and the letters start to arrive. She says there is "nothing like reading a happy child’s letter." Parents have told her that Santa’s special, personal letters have allowed their kids to believe in Santa just a little longer.

While emailed letters are starting to become more common, Nancy is also proud to be one of 15,000 volunteers who sent over 1 million Santa letters to Canadian children each year for three years in a row. That achievement earned Nancy and her fellow letter-writers a spot in the Guiness Book of World Records.

A volunteer with a heart, indeed.

Congratulations, Nancy MacDonald. We are pleased to recognize you for all your volunteerism, and the happiness of many Enfield children, with a Remarkable Seniors Award.

For More Information...

The Department of Seniors staff are pleased to provide information and assistance to seniors and persons acting on their behalf.

Call Our Seniors Information Line

1-800-670-0065 (toll-free)
(902) 424-0065 (Metro area)

Send Us an E-mail or Fax

Fax: 902-424-0561
E-mail: scs@gov.ns.ca or use our secure web form.

Visit Us

Drop by our office on the 4th floor of the Dennis Building, 1740 Granville Street, Halifax (8:30 am-4:30 pm, Monday to Friday).