Be a Santa to a Senior Continues
Popular Holiday Senior Gift Giveaway
 
November 10, 2008

The popular campaign that in the last four years delivered more than 300 gifts to local needy seniors is being planned again this holiday season. Area retailers, along with agencies that serve older adults, have partnered with a local senior-care service to make sure that isolated seniors receive gifts and companionship through the Be a Santa to a Senior program.

The Pasadena area office of Home Instead Senior Care, the world's largest provider of non-medical home care and companionship for older adults, has joined Pasadena Silvercrest Residence and Rose Garden Convalescent Center and Bryan's Cleaners and Laundry and Kaiser Permanente to provide presents to seniors who otherwise might not receive a gift this holiday season.

Throughout North America, this is the fifth year of the program where last year more than 26,400 volunteers distributed gifts to deserving seniors. In the past four years since introducing this Be a Santa to a Senior program, Home Instead Senior Care has helped provide more than 930,000 gifts to 568,055 seniors in North America.

“Be a Santa to a Senior each year sets new records in contributions of gifts to a group that often is forgotten during the hectic holiday season,” said Ada Wong owner of the Home Instead Senior Care office serving Pasadena and surrounding areas. “While children are the beneficiaries of many holiday programs, people often don't think about the isolated and lonely seniors who need to be remembered as well during this season. Be a Santa to a Senior also is designed to help stimulate human contact and social interaction for older adults who are unlikely to have guests during the holidays.”

Here's how the program, which runs from Nov. 24 through Dec. 19, works: Prior to the holiday season, the participating local non-profit organizations will identify needy and isolated seniors in the community and provide those names to Home Instead Senior Care for this community service program. Christmas trees, which will go up in Bryan's Cleaners and Laundry at 544 So. Arroyo Parkway on Nov. 26 will feature ornaments with the first names only of the seniors and their respective gift requests.

Holiday shoppers can pick up an ornament, buy items on the list and return them unwrapped to the store, along with the ornament attached. Home Instead Senior Care then enlists the volunteer help of its staff, senior-care business associates, non-profit workers and others to collect, wrap and distribute the gifts to these seniors.

Eva, 88, is one area senior that this year will benefit from Be a Santa to a Senior. Eva lives in her home that she inherited from her parents. All through her adult life she took care of her parents and now Eva lives by herself and has no immediate family that comes to visit her. A gift would bring so much cheer and joy into her life during this holiday season.

“Be a Santa to a Senior is a fulfilling way to say thanks to those older adults who have helped build our community,” Ada Wong said. “Our hope is that many will be touched by this holiday gesture of goodwill.”

If you or someone you know is interested in volunteering to help deliver gifts, contact Ada Wong at (626) 486-0800. Businesses are encouraged to contact the local Home Instead Senior Care office about adopting groups of seniors. For tree locations in your area, or for more information about the program, log on to www.beasantatoasenior.com.

For more information about Be a Santa to a Senior, or to arrange photos of the gift-giving day, contact Ada Wong at 626-486-0800.