Terrence has struggled with loneliness over the years. Now 78, he spent the last 20 Christmases alone since his mother died.

That changed this year.

A volunteer with Age UK, Terrence told the BBC that through his volunteer work with the agency, he would be spending the holiday with a 90-year-old woman with dementia.

“And you do feel it, very much so,” Terrence told the BBC in an interview. “But this year is going to be different.”

A five-year volunteer with Age UK, Terrence told the BBC Breakfast interviews that he was now doing home visits. “I’ve got this wonderful lady, that I go to see every Monday, she’s 90 years old and has severe dementia and I always spend two to three hours with her and she loves it and I love her. I just love doing the volunteering now because it’s helped me so much because I was always on my own and then came along Age UK.”

Before he started volunteering with Age UK, Terrence told the reporters that he suffered severe depression. He paid a visit to the group and started doing computers as well as a host of other volunteer work.

“And it’s just snowballed now, I enjoy it so much, but I’m giving something back because Age UK gave me hope in the first place.”

When the reporters asked Terrence what Christmas was like after his mother passed, he told them it was a not good day because you would make yourself a sandwich, and then watch a little television. Even so, he told them, he considered himself lucky because there are many who can’t even make themselves a sandwich and may not see anyone else at all that day. And now I’m so pleased I’m doing things for other people,” he told them.

This year, however, he told them he would be spending at the nursing home to spend Christmas Day with the dementia patient. “I’m going to have dinner with her and the lady doesn’t know who I am but we have such a laugh. And it’s quite funny how, I don’t know, we just seem to have clicked and I would miss going to see her now.”

He told the crew he didn’t have a Christmas tree, but that he would like one. The trio were so charmed by Terrence and his dedication to Age UK, they turned to the camera, addressing their viewers and invited them to help get Terrence a Christmas tree, to help decorate his house and to help him have a merry Christmas.

Fast forward to the following day: One of the presenters was at Terrence’s home to deliver on that promise. Knocking on the door, presenter Dan Walker surprises Terrence, and reminds him they’d made him a promise to make his Christmas special.

“Do you know what we’ve had, Terrence, an incredible reaction to you coming on,” Walker tells the man. “I think the thing that really struck home was when you were mentiong how many times you’d been on your own on Christmas Day.”

Before his mother passed, Terrence later told Walker that when his mother was alive, he would go over to her house with Christmas dinner and bringing gifts, all to make the day special. One Christmas, he tells Walker, his mother turned to him and said, “Without you, bringing me my presents at Christmas, I wouldn’t have any presents, would I?”

“I often think about that now, people who are on their own now, don’t get any presents from people.”

Walker told Terrence that he’d had a big impact on the program’s viewers who, along with the everyone at the station, wanted to do something for him. Going to Terrence’s front door, he proceeded to let in a group of students from Oldham College packing a Christmas tree, completely decorated. As the students set up the tree, Terrence choked up with emotion. They came to spend Christmas with him and to brighten the holiday with a tree, they told him. Soon, tinseled garlands were added to the tree and bright decorations were hung from its limbs.

But that wasn’t the end of the surprises. Asking Terrence his favorite carol — “Silent Night” — Walker goes to the door and opens it a second time. Outside, the Oldham College Choir was gathered and as Terrence appeared in the doorway began singing the classic carol.

Since BBC published the video to social media, it has also been viewed by millions of people touched by the simple effort to brighten Terrence’s holiday.

That simple act is much like what the Sandpoint Lions Club and all in the community do to make Christmas merry for our local youngsters who may not have much.

Today’s donations add up to a $1,237, bringing the total so far to $23,493.98.

Generous donations were received from: J.S. and B.A. Wilson, $200; Kenneth Riordan and Vickie Clark, $100; Peter’s Appliance Service, $100; Ballard Orthodontics Girls, $30; Mike Winslow (in memory of Les Broesma), $100; anonymous (in memory of Melinda Hoekema), $200; and Arby’s, $507.

The goal for this year’s campaign is $50,000 — the same as it has been in past years, but time is running short.

So, if you can, donate what you can and help the Lions help our children have a merry Christmas.

The Lions make the most of the money by shopping bargains, and with the assistance of generous local businesses. The Toys for Tots program provides free new toys for children living in the Lake Pend Oreille School District, from Sandpoint to Clark Fork and all points in-between. A Christmas dinner for the family is also provided.

Donations for Toys for Tots can be dropped off at the front desk at the Bonner County Daily Bee, 310 Church St., from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

You can also drop off donations at Columbia Bank’s main branch in Sandpoint, 414 Church St., or at the Ponderay branch, 300 Bonner Mall Way.

Donations may be mailed to the Sandpoint Lions Club, Box 414, Sandpoint, ID 83864.

Donations made by check are preferred. Be sure to include a note with your check indicating that it is a Toys for Tots donation. If you wish to make an anonymous donation, please include a note.

If the donation is being made in someone’s name, be sure to also include a note.

Information: Sandpoint Lions Club, 208-263-4118

Caroline Lobsinger can be reached by email at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter @CarolDailyBee.