Seniors need Santa, too: Won’t you play the part?

Home Instead Senior Care, nonprofit agencies and retailers are joining forces to sponsor “Be a Santa to a Senior,” a program for collecting, wrapping and delivering gifts to lonely and needy seniors in the Youngstown area.

The program runs from Monday through Dec. 8. On the first day, trees go up in areas stores and other businesses, and on the last day, the general public is invited to a community gift-wrapping party.

Partners in the program are Sterling House Brookdale Living and Clare Bridge Cottage, Paisley House, Visiting Nurse Association, HandsOn Volunteer Network of the Valley, Catholic Charities, SCOPE, Guardian Angels, Valley Renaissance, Youngstown Metropolitan Housing Authority, Mahoning County Senior Center and Senior Service Unit, Autumn Hills Health Care, and several area retail businesses. They all will work together to provide gifts and companionship to senior citizens who otherwise might not receive either this holiday season.

The participating organizations identify needy and isolated seniors and provide those names to the local Home Instead Senior Care office. Christmas trees will be displayed in the Wal-Marts in Boardman and Warren; Curves in Austintown, Boardman and Canfield; Kmart Super Center in Niles; and Optiview in Austintown and Niles, The trees will feature ornaments with the first names of seniors and their gift requests. Holiday shoppers can then pick an ornament, buy items on the list and return them unwrapped to the store, with the ornament attached.

For more information about the program visit www.beasantatoasenior.com.

How It Works

Be a Santa to a Senior

Choose a participating “Be a Santa to a Senior” store.

Remove an ornament from the tree (gift ideas are printed on each ornament).

Purchase the gift(s) listed.

Take the ornament and gift back to participating store and give to a store employee.

On the final day, volunteers will wrap the gifts at a wrapping party from 2 to 7 p.m. Dec. 8 at Holiday Inn Boardman, 7410 South Ave. To volunteer call Dawn Trickett at 330-729-1233.