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The Home Instead Senior Care offices serving the Richmond region are inviting the community to come together to provide gifts and holiday cheer to seniors who may be isolated from friends or family this holiday season.
According to the AARP, 28 percent of people 65 or older live alone. Each year, these seniors have fewer family members and friends to provide company and care to them, and the holidays can be especially lonely.
It's easy to help out through the Be a Santa to a Senior program. Just go to one of the participating locations (in Henrico, Be a Santa to a Senior trees can be found at Lakewood, 1900 Lauderdale Drive, and Lifespire, 3961 Stillman Parkway), and choose an ornament from the tree on display. Each ornament will feature a senior's first name and desired gift, which shoppers can then buy and return, unwrapped, with the ornament attached.
Volunteers with Senior Connections, Little Sisters of the Poor, and Henrico Fire will help with gift collection, wrapping and distribution. Many gifts are delivered by the fire departments, so that a home safety check can also be performed for the seniors. (For those interested in helping to wrap, the participating offices in the region will host a wrapping party in December.)
In the 10 years since the program’s creation, more than 4,000 seniors have been served. For details about the program, visit BeaSantatoaSenior.com or call 527-1100. For details about how to help seniors in isolation in the community, visit imreadytocare.com.
