The popular campaign that for the past eleven years delivered more than 5000 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 Portage County office of Home Instead Senior Care, the world’s largest provider of non-medical home care and companionship for older adults, has teamed with local Portage County senior agencies to provide presents to seniors who otherwise might not receive a gift this holiday season.
Pictured left to right: Bridget Gency Nurse Case Manager Home Instead Senior Care, Theresa Dash Human Resources Manager, Joan Penix Client Care Specialist, Tanya Fox Staffing Coordinator.
Throughout North America, this is the eleventh year of the program where last year more than 26,400 volunteers distributed gifts to deserving seniors. Since introducing the program, Home Instead Senior Care has helped provide more than 1.2 million gifts to 700,000 seniors in North America.
“Each year this program sets new records in contributions of gifts to a group that often are forgotten during the hectic holiday season,” said Therese Glorioso RN, President, of Home Instead Senior Care office serving Portage County.
“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 works
Prior to the holiday season, the participating local non-profit organizations will identify financially needy and isolated seniors in the community and provide those names to Home Instead Senior Care for this community service program. The name and gift request of each senior are written on an ornament and then placed on Christmas trees located throughout Portage County including The RAC, Emeritus and Key Bank in Ravenna; The Gables of KentRidge in Kent; Senior Centers in Ravenna, Streetsboro and Aurora; Aurora Premium Outlets, First National Bank and T’Cakes Bakery in Aurora; Camelot Village, Excalibur Auto Body, Key Bank and Western Reserve Raquet Club in Streetsboro.
Holiday shoppers can pick up an ornament, buy items on the list and return them unwrapped to the location, along with the ornament attached. Home Instead Senior Care then enlists volunteer help of its staff, senior-care business associates, non-profit workers and others to collect, wrap and distribute the gifts to these seniors. A citywide gift-wrapping day, when hundreds of the presents will be wrapped, will be held early in December.
“Be a Santa to a Senior is a fulfilling way to say thanks to those older adults who have helped build our community,” Glorioso said. “Our hope is that many will be touched by this holiday gesture of goodwill.”
For more information on how you can help a needy senior please contact Annette Balis, Community Service Representative for Home Instead Senior Care, at 330-995-1522. You can also send a donation to Home Instead c/o Be A Santa To a Senior, 705 Oakwood St. Suite 107, Ravenna, Ohio 44266
For more information about the program, visit the Be A Santa To a Senior Website.
Editor’s Note: For more information about Be a Santa to a Senior, or to arrange live video or photos of the gift delivery with area seniors, wrapping party or tree locations please contact Annette Balis at (330) 995-1522. This program has received the Pillar Award for Community Service. The Pillar Award is a prestigious award from Smart Business Magazine and Medical Mutual for companies that display extraordinary community service in NE Ohio.