VIROQUA, Wisc., Oct. 29, 2026 — A local real estate brokerage in Southwest Wisconsin is once again reaching out to its neighbors to help make the holiday season a bit brighter for the area’s elderly residents.
Now in its fifth year, Something For Seniors is a community Christmas gift drive created by Dan Kiedinger, Jeff Dickson and Bev Schultz, all associates of United Country Real Estate | Oakwood Realty LLC out of Viroqua, Wisc. The program benefits seniors living in health care and assisted living facilities in Crawford and Vernon counties.
Running throughout November, the gift drive invites participants to donate new, unopened and unwrapped personal care items, hygiene essentials, and fun activity or entertainment items, which will later be distributed to the care facilities.
“With November being Long-Term Care Awareness Month, this is the perfect time to show support and appreciation for our elderly residents and our caregivers alike,” said Kiedinger, broker and REALTOR® with United Country | Oakwood Realty. “Every year, Something For Seniors continues to grow, with more involvement from the community, more local businesses reaching out to play their part.”
The Something For Seniors idea came in 2022, when Kiedinger, Dickson and Schultz were brainstorming a unique way to give back to the community during the holiday season. A lot of great programs already existed for children, pets and other groups, but one demographic was being underserved: the community’s elderly residents.
Schultz thought back to her experiences years earlier caregiving for the elderly, often for people in physical and/or mental decline, many who rarely if ever had any visitors. She recalled older residents who struggled with lack of clothing, personal hygiene products and other essentials.
With that, Something for Seniors was born. Modeled after the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve’s’ Toys for Tots® program, the new initiative involved contacting senior living facilities, local businesses, and creating various promotional materials for a month-long drive in November. For more information, including gift wish list, collection sites and results from past drives, go to SomethingForSeniors.org.
“This gift drive not only benefits our elderly residents, but also our health care workers,” Kiedinger said. “Additionally, it serves as a reminder to keep in our hearts those we love who are aging or facing health challenges.”