Be a Santa to a senior this Christmas
Thousands of isolated seniors will once again have reason to smile this Christmas after Home Instead Senior Care launched its annual Be a Santa to a Senior program at midtown Toronto's Isabel and Arthur Meighen Manor.
The program will pair seniors with donors, who can stop by retirement homes and stores and select a gift to give.
The program, which runs in various communities throughout North America, has seen 750,000 lonely and isolated seniors receive some 1.5 million gifts over the past seven years.
Home Instead Senior Care managing director Bruce Mahony said the presents get into the hands of seniors who may not have family nearby and may otherwise feel neglected or forgotten around the holidays.
"We see that there's no shortage of seniors who would benefit from the Be a Santa to a Senior program," he said during the Thursday, Nov. 17 event. "At holiday time, we very often think of (needy) kids but seniors are often forgotten."
While some of the recipients live in long-term care facilities, many are living on their own. Community service organizations such as Meals on Wheels often recommend seniors who have little or no family or support system as gift recipients, while some seniors are referred by neighbours.
"We'll get people every year who will call and say 'someone on my street doesn't have family around and they could use this,'" said Home Instead's Scott Johnson.
Most participating seniors ask for simple gifts such as sweaters, robes or pajamas, slippers and toiletries. Each senior writes down one gift idea on a tag and places that tag on a tree. Donors can choose what they want to buy and have it wrapped and delivered to the senior in time for the holidays.
Volunteers - including some seniors - get together to wrap the gifts at wrapping parties and the gifts are delivered by caregivers.
"It's a real feel-good, in-the-community program that puts a smile on a lot of seniors' faces," Johnson said.
As welcome as the gifts are, Janise Smith of Home Instead Senior Care Scarborough said the visits from the gift-bearers are even more precious than the presents themselves. Simply having someone stop in to spread a little holiday cheer can brighten the day of many who do not have family close by with whom to spend the season.
"We're able to give that most precious gift...and that's the gift of time," she said.
Isabel and Arthur Meighen Manor resident Connie Lancaster, 103, said the program would truly be welcome for countless isolated seniors in the community. She hopes donors get into the holiday spirit and show their generosity during the festive season.
"It's a wonderful idea to give (isolated seniors) a little gift box with something special in it," she said. "It will help them feel that somebody out there loves them and cares about them."
Several retail outlets, including some Shoppers Drug Mart, Walmart, Zellers and other stores have partnered with the program to make the gift-buying easy for donors.
Be a Santa to a Senior will run through Dec. 15. For details, including a list of participating outlets, visit www.beasantatoasenior.com
See some photos from SNAP North York
