'Be a Santa to a Senior' brings cheer to older adults  

As the holiday season begins, Home Instead is encouraging Richmond-area residents to participate in the "Be a Santa to a Senior" program, which spreads holiday cheer to older adults in the community who may lack companionship during the holidays.

This year, program coordinators hope to collect gifts for 125 older adults, and have partnered with local fire departments to deliver the gifts to the seniors.

To participate, shoppers can email the Home Instead Richmond office and receive a gift request from a local senior.  Emails should be directed to program coordinator Kelly Criste-Cook at kcriste-cook@homeinstead.com.

After receiving a gift request, shoppers can buy the requested gift and return it wrapped to the Home Instead office at 4900 Cox Road, Suite 245 in Glen Allen, with a gift tag on the outside listing the tag number and name of the recipient.  Tags are now available, and all gifts are due by November 30. The gifts will be delivered to local older adults in time for the holidays.

This is the program’s 10th year in the area, and the 20th year for the Home Instead franchise. During those 20 years, Be a Santa to a Senior has engaged more than 65,000 volunteers, provided more than 2.2 million gifts, and shared the holiday spirit with an estimated 800,000 older adults nationwide.

For details, visit BeaSantatoaSenior.com or call Home Instead at (804) 823-2140.