Prestige Assisted Living adopts local family for Christmas

Christmas came early this year for one Flathead Valley family.

Prestige Assisted Living in Kalispell adopted the Jaegers — Shoni and her three children, Blayde, Arrayah and Aurora — and provided them a Christmas that would have made the North Pole proud.

The assisted living center has adopted families in the past, but after a brief hiatus from the program, executive director Patty Cordell decided it was time for a revival. Maintenance director Tim Dutter reached out to his pastor at Easthaven Baptist Church for suggestions of families who could use a little extra holiday spirit and the Jaegers were mentioned.

To make sure the family had a Christmas to remember, Prestige hosted a 50/50 raffle at their Thanksgiving dinner, which brought in hundreds of dollars. That effort, coupled with offerings from residents, their families and Prestige staff, resulted in a mountain of gifts beneath Prestige’s Christmas tree Wednesday morning.

The Jaegers took seats at the front of the room, alongside residents RJ Kraft and Alora Sheridan who were dressed as Mr. and Mrs. Claus to accept their gifts before joining the seniors for lunch.

Over a dozen residents pulled up a chair to watch the gift-giving spectacle, their smiles mirroring those of the Jaeger children as they unwrapped new shoes, gloves and art supplies.

Blayde, 5, found a perch on Santa’s lap, while Arrayah, 8, sat at the feet of Mrs. Claus, happily showing her gifts to the room so everyone could she what she received.

Shoni sat alongside her eldest, Aurora, 13, lighting up as she watched her children.

“Thank you so much,” she said as a staff member handed her a present. “We’re spoiled.”

For the “grand finale” Prestige employees brought in three high-tech sleds for each of the children so the family could hit the snowy hillsides together, and a kitchen worker brought out a large box laden with fixings for a Christmas dinner.

Shoni wiped tears from her eyes as she surveyed the scene in front of her while Blayde, Arrayah and Aurora made their way around the room for thank yous and hugs.

Prestige resident Shirley Barrett, who knit each child a hat the night before, smiled as Arrayah greeted her.

“I’ve been crying through the whole thing,” Barrett said. “I just watch those kids faces, it’s so cute.

“I’m really proud of Prestige for doing this — [they are] a very nice family, so polite. She deserves it.”

Cordell said the adopt a family program brought joy to more than just the Jaeger family.

“They’re retired, they’re not working anymore, [so] it feels good to still be productive and do something for others. This is what I love,” Cordell said, pointing to a couple of residents who had gathered around the Jaeger children. “The residents are all interacting with these kids. I saw tears coming down their eyes; they got their minds off of their own struggles and focused on something else that made them feel good.”

Shoni said she was taken aback when she received the phone call that she and her kids had been chosen for the program. The single mom and dance studio manager said during the holidays, “there’s a lot to do and only one of you to do it … it can be overwhelming because you have to play both roles.”

But this year, one role she didn’t have to play was Santa Claus.

“My heart was full. The kids have never seen that many presents. I think they were overwhelmed too. It was so joyful,” she said. “It’s not just a gift to us, but I feel like when people do that, it gives back to them. That’s really what Christmas is about.”

Reporter Mackenzie Reiss may be reached at 758-4433 or mreiss@dailyinterlake.com.