Be a Santa to a Senior

Touching the Lives of Seniors

Blog Posted by: Preston & Aimee Roth

In 2006, Be a Santa to a Senior volunteers visited a local nursing facility and distributed gifts to a number of residents, including one 87-year-old woman whom we’ll call Mary. She was pleased to receive her gift and thanked us profusely, but it wasn’t until we returned to give Mary another gift in 2007 that we recognized the true value of Be a Santa to a Senior.

When we entered Mary’s room for our second visit, we noticed that the only card on her bulletin board was the Be a Santa to a Senior card from the previous year. As we spoke with her caregivers we found out that our Christmas card and gift were the only items she had received throughout the year. Mary re-read the card regularly to help keep that memory alive.

This years Be a Santa to a Senior program will be our 2nd annual for our Multnomah and Clackamas Oregon Home Instead Senior Care office’s. Last year we supplied 60 gifts for financially challenged or lonely seniors and our goal for 2011 is 150 gifts! We are committed to increasing the amount of seniors we can help and touch each year! Our seniors are our nations greatest resource and in fact John A Kitzhaber, Governor of the State of Oregon has Proclaimed December 2011 to be “BE A SANTA TO A SENIOR MONTH”

Each year the Home Instead Senior Care network  throughout North America spread holiday cheer through the Be a Santa to a Senior program. The program has attracted upwards of 60,000 volunteers over the past six years distributing gifts to deserving seniors.  Since introducing the Be a Santa to a Senior program, Home Instead Senior Care has helped provide 1.2 million gifts to more than 700,000 seniors.

Click this link to see a touching video about the Be a Santa to a Senior Program

How Be a Santa to a Senior Works

Our Home Instead Senior Care office has partnered with local non-profit and community organizations to identify seniors who might not otherwise receive gifts this holiday season. We then work with local businesses and retail stores to help facilitate the purchase and distribution of gifts by placing trees and ornaments within their various locations. Each senior’s gift requests are written on a Be a Santa to a Senior tree ornament.

Here’s how to help an under served senior:

1. Find the nearest Be a Santa to a Senior tree location. Our current locations in Multnomah County Are:

• Home Instead Senior Care – 4538 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland OR 97213
• Hollywood Senior Center – 1820 NE 40th Ave, Portland OR 97213
• Lloyd Athletic Club – 815 NE Halsey St, Portland OR 97232
• Sterling Savings Bank – 4728 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland Oregon 97213
• Wholesome Blends Coffee – 4615 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland OR 97213

Our current locations in Clackamas County Are:

• Bullseye Coffee – 1980 Willamette Falls Dr, West Linn OR 97086
• Sterling Savings Bank – 25529 SW Gwen Drive, Wilsonville, OR 97070
• The Art Spot – 510 1st Street, Lake Oswego, OR 97034

2. Remove an ornament

3. Purchase the gift

4. Bring ornament and gift back to participating store and give to
store employee.

It’s that easy.

Local volunteers collect, wrap, and deliver the gifts to the seniors.

We will be collecting all gifts at the tree sites by Dec 16th with all gifts delivered by Loaves and Fishes before Christmas.

Gift Wrapping Party

We will be wrapping and packing all gifts at the Hollywood Senior Center - 1820 NE 40th Ave Portland OR 97213 on December 17th from 2-4pm. We will have hot cocoa, Christmas cookies and Christmas music to get us all in the mood. We would love for anyone who is interested to come and help. Its an amazing, and touching event to say the very least.

Find a Tree today and brighten the life of a senior.

If there is not a Be a Santa to a Senior tree in your community, we encourage you to contact an organization in your community dedicated to helping seniors during the holidays.