As Christmas shopping kicks into high gear, a local home care provider is asking Londoners to consider picking up an extra gift for an isolated senior in need.
Through the Be a Santa to a Senior program, Home Instead Senior Care has teamed up with area businesses and non-profit organizations to identify 500 seniors who will be spending the holiday season alone and would otherwise not receive a Christmas gift. Each senior was asked what would be on their wish list. Those items, in addition to the senior's gender and clothing size, was then written on a paper ornament and placed on a Christmas tree at one of six participating London businesses.
"[Gifts on] each ornament range between $20 and $30 and they are asking for things like socks, hats, mitts, and pyjamas," said Victoria Chalmers, owner of the London Home Instead Senior Care office. "Some are more specific and ask for items like a Toronto Maple Leafs t-shirt. Toiletries are also huge."
Holiday shoppers looking to bring some joy to a local senior can choose an ornament from one of the trees, buy the requested gift, and then bring it with the paper ornament back to the business where the ornament was selected by November 29.
Volunteers with Home Instead and partnering organizations will pick up the donated gifts on November 30 and December 1. The gifts will then be wrapped and delivered to local seniors in time for Christmas.
“There are so many seniors that are alone and isolated and have no visitors to come and see them. While it may seem like a small act of kindness, it can really make a difference for someone over the festive season,” said Chalmers. "The seniors are just so excited. The gifts come in a gift bag with lots of tissue paper and we also receive donations from people in the community for homemade knit blankets or mitts, so we can add some of those items into the gifts that have been purchased. It just makes it that much more special."
This is the tenth year the London-arm of Home Instead has been apart of the Be a Santa to a Senior program. Last year, just under 500 London-area seniors received a gift through the program.
Be a Santa to a Senior trees can be found at the following locations:
- Home Instead Senior Care, 1200 Highbury Ave. N.
- London Airport Hyundai, 2294 Dundas St.
- Airport Kia, 2284 Dundas St.
- Hangar 9 London, 620 Richmond St.
- Village Hair Co., 2410 Main St.
- Chartwell Riverside Retirement, 201 Riverside Dr.