COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. -- Home Instead Senior Care is once again teaming up with area retailers and non-profit agencies to sponsor Be a Santa to a Senior – a program that collects, wraps and delivers gifts to lonely and needy seniors in the area.
Program sponsors expect gift requests to be up this year as the economic downturn continues and Social Security benefits fail to keep pace with daily living expenses.
“Most people aren’t aware that there are literally hundreds, if not thousands, of seniors in every community who have no family and are alone,” said Jerri Schomaker, owner of the Home Instead Senior Care office serving Colorado Springs, Monument and Woodland Park. “What’s more, this holiday season finds many older adults struggling to make ends meet.”
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.
Christmas trees, which will go up in Dogtooth Coffee Company (505 E. Columbia Street) and Infinity Hair Salon (4101 Centennial Blvd), 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 or wrapped to the store, along with the ornament attached.
Volunteers will then collect, wrap and deliver the gifts to area seniors.
“Be a Santa to a Senior is a way to show our gratitude to those older adults who have contributed so much to our community,” Schomaker said. “We hope to reach out to many with this gesture of holiday cheer and goodwill.”
For more information about the program, call 719-534-0908 or log on to www.beasantatoasenior.com.
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