During the holiday season, it’s all about spending time with loved ones and celebrating each other. But one resident at Morningside of Fullerton has dedicated his time to giving back. George Page spends hours in the community’s woodshop creating wooden cars for the local Crittendon Services for Children and Families.
“If you retire with a martini in your hand and a TV in front of you, you’re not going to last very long,” says Page, a retired electronics engineer.
Since moving into the community seven years ago, George – aka the Morningside of Fullerton Elf – has crafted more than 140 wooden toy cars. Each of them is made out of pinewood and measures 8 inches long and 2 inches high.
From classic models to ambulances and fire trucks, George creates many different designs of these toys. To finish off each toy, he burns the doors into place and designs the numbers on each unique toy he makes. From start to finish, it takes about 24 hours to create. This season he created about 20 of them to be donated. On Christmas morning, children in need will have a handmade present durable enough to last generations.
The holidays aren’t the only time you can find this elf in his woodshop. George takes requests from residents at the community and will make any car desired, as long as there isn’t a time restraint. He says he needs time to make every detail perfect. So far, he’s made multiple models of a Prius and many truck designs.
Morningside of Fullerton knows the importance of residents staying active in the community. In fact, one study found that seniors who participate in activities such as woodworking were 45% less likely to develop mental impairment later in life. Specifically, some have even labeled woodworking a “whole-brain activity” due to its mix of problem-solving and creativity.
“It’s actually statistically proven that living in communities like Morningside that have a holistic approach when it comes to wellness, you’ll actually live longer and live better,” said Richard Nordsiek an employee of Morningside of Fullerton.
George was interviewed and featured on Spectrum News 1 SoCal. You can watch the video below: