Children are often the focus at Christmas but local seniors can use a gift and a lift at this time of year, too.
That's why the Home Instead Senior Care network has launched its annual Be a Santa to a Senior campaign.
The company, which provides non-medical in-home care and companionship services for seniors, hopes to collect and distribute gifts to more seniors than ever before. The campaign delivered more than 950 gifts to seniors in the Tri-Cities, New Westminster and Maple Ridge.
Here's how the program works: Non-profit organizations identify isolated and deserving seniors, and provide those names to Home Instead, located at 200-2550 Shaughnessy St. in Port Coquitlam. Christmas trees will go up in stores and other locations that feature Be a Santa to a Senior paper ornaments with the first names only of the seniors and their gift requests. Holiday shoppers can pick up an ornament at a participating location, purchase the item(s) on the list and return them unwrapped to the store, along with the ornament attached.
The program runs until Dec. 15. To find a Tri-City store participating in the campaign, visit www.beasantatoasenior.ca, enter your postal code and find the location.
In the Tri-Cities, Home Instead is partnering with local retailers, non-profit agencies and volunteers from the community, including Save-On Foods, London Drugs, Zellers, Thrifty Foods and Dr. Charles Best secondary school.
Throughout North America, the program has attracted upwards of 65,000 volunteers during the past seven years, distributing 1.5 million gifts to more than 750,000 seniors.
On Dec. 16, Home Instead will host a gift-wrapping party at Royal Canadian Legion Branch 88 in Maple Ridge, involving staff and volunteers from the community who will prepare gifts for delivery to seniors. If you're interested in volunteering to help with the gift-wrapping, call 604-552-3324.
As well, businesses are encouraged to contact the local Home Instead office about adopting groups of seniors.
