Lonely, impoverished seniors will get a little special cheer this holiday season thanks to the Be a Santa to a Senior program, sponsored by the local Home Instead Senior Care plus Save-On-Foods, Thrifty Foods, Price Smart and London Drugs stores in the Tri-Cities.
Each year, Home Instead organizes donated gifts for delivery to seniors in the area. In many cases, these people would get little else at this special time.
"It is heartbreaking to think of the senior members of our community spending the holidays all by themselves, without any gifts or any way to celebrate the season," stated Gianna Beazley, community relations manager of the Home Instead in the Tri-Cities. "But all too often, that's what happens when seniors live alone. It can be a really tough time of year for them."
Participating retail locations will display Be a Santa to a Senior Christmas trees through Dec. 20 that feature ornaments with seniors' first names and their gift requests. Holiday shoppers can pick ornaments from the trees, buy the items listed and return them unwrapped (and with the ornament attached) to the store. Program partners and volunteers will wrap and distribute the gifts to local seniors.
Be a Santa to a Senior trees are at the following locations:
London Drugs, Coquitlam Centre mall;
Thrifty Foods, 2662 Austin Ave., Coquitlam;
Thrifty Foods, 170 Brew St., Port Moody;
Save-On-Foods, 2385 Ottawa St., Port Coquitlam;
and PriceSmart, 2991 Lougheed Hwy., Coquitlam.
For more information about the program, visit beasantatoasenior.ca or call 604-552-3324.
