LAFAYETTE, La. — With 44% of seniors experiencing loneliness during the holidays, according to MedicareFAQ, one local organization is stepping in to make sure no one in the Hub City feels forgotten this season.
"Today is great. It's nice to have people around me to get back into the holiday spirit," Kevin Broussard said.
Broussard served as a communication navigation systems technician in the military, traveling extensively throughout his career.
"I was a communication navigation systems technician. That means anything that has to do with the flying of the plane and the navigation of the plane, I fixed that."
His service took him around the world to locations including Guam, Philippines, England, France, Italy, Germany, Korea and Spain. Later, as a truck driver, he spent many years on the road away from family and friends, missing holidays, including Christmas.
"Because I had lost it you know, nobody around. No family — nothing. So this is real nice. I enjoy it quite a bit," Broussard said.
Senior Helpers of Lafayette, a non-medical in-home care provider for seniors, cares for clients in their own homes year-round. During the holidays, the organization makes extra efforts to bring joy to their clients.
"We always do something extra for all of our clients during the holidays because sometimes we may be the only people visiting them and being able to share a little bit of holiday spirit," said Michele Veillon, CEO of Senior Helpers.
The helpers brought Broussard his own Christmas tree — his first in five years — and spent time helping him make Christmas cookies and build a gingerbread house.
"It's nice to have a tree. It's nice to have company," Broussard said.
The gingerbread house activity brought back childhood memories for the veteran.
"It's been a long time. A long time. Our grandmother used to do this with us all the time," Broussard said.
The organization encourages community members to reach out to seniors who may be isolated during the holidays.
"It's just a good reminder to take a pause and think about your neighbors who may not be able to get out. Make that extra little effort — a phone call, a handwritten card, a visit if you can," Veillon said.
For Broussard, the visit made a significant impact on his holiday spirit.
"But it did mean a lot for y'all to be here for this to happen. I'm good to go now, I got the Christmas spirit now," Broussard said.
Mr. Broussard tells KATC that the holidays aren't about material gifts or spending, but about the company you keep and the memories you make.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
