‘Be a Santa to a Senior’ program returns
This season, many Central Oregon seniors who are alone or impoverished will receive some holiday cheer, thanks to the Be a Santa to a Senior® program.
Sponsored by the local Home Instead Senior Care® office, the program brings together area nonprofits, retailers, numerous volunteers and members of the community to provide gifts and companionship for lonely and isolated seniors.
“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,” says Todd Sensenbach, owner of the Home Instead Senior Care office serving Central Oregon. “But all too often, that’s what happens when seniors live alone. It can be a really tough time of year for them.”
Home Instead Senior Care has partnered with the following area organizations to help with the gift collection and distribution: Bend Radio Group, BendbroadbandZolo Media, COCC Criminal Justice Club, Fox Hollow Independent and Assisted Living, KNLR 97.5 Radio, St. Charles Lifeline and St. Charles Home Health Services.
The COCC Criminal Justice Club provides laundry coins, Partners in Care acts as a tree location and provides a committee member, and Seven Peaks and Obsidian Middle Schools provide handmade cards to include with gifts. Program officials hope to collect 4,000 gifts in order to help more than 750 area seniors this holiday season.
Participating retail locations will display Be a Santa to a Senior Christmas trees from Nov. 22 to Dec. 17 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.
Trees will be at the following locations:
•Home Instead Senior Care, 497 SW Century Drive, Suite 102
•Bend Senior Center, 1600 SE Reed Market Road
•Erickson’s Thriftway – Madras, 561 SW 4th Street
•Fred Meyer, Bend, 61535 S. Highway 97
•La Pine Community Health Center, 51600 Huntington Road
•Partners in Care, 2075 NE Wyatt Ct.
•Ray’s Food Place – Sisters, 635 N Arrowleaf Trail
•Redmond Senior Center, 325 NW Dogwood Avenue
•Rite Aid – Prineville, 1575 Northeast 3rd Street
•Soroptimist Senior Center – Prineville, 180 NE Belknap Street
Program partners and volunteers will wrap and distribute the gifts to local seniors who might otherwise spend the holiday alone.
“During this season of giving, we encourage shoppers to buy a little extra for a local senior,” said Sensenbach. “Your gift – and more importantly the visit that comes with the delivery – could make their holiday season.”
To find Be a Santa to a Senior trees locations or for more information about the program, visit BeaSantatoaSenior.com or call 541-330-6400 .
