Why not be Santa to a senior citizen?

Staff report

AUSTINTOWN

This season, holiday shoppers in Mahoning and Trumbull counties can give cheer to area seniors by participating in the Be a Santa to a Senior program.

The official kickoff of a holiday program, Be a Santa to a Senior, will begin at 3:30 p.m. Monday at Optiview Vision Center, 5537 Mahoning Ave.

The program is run by the local Home Instead Senior Care office in partnership with Guardian Angels-Trumbull County Probate Court, Catholic Charities, HandsOn Volunteer Network, Paisley House, Greenbriar Health Care, Valley Renaissance Health Care, Clare Bridge Health Care Austintown, Sterling House Brookdale, Living Health Care Salem, area retailers, volunteers and members of the community. It helps make sure that isolated seniors receive gifts and companionship during the holidays. This can be a difficult time for many, especially those who live alone or have lost spouses and loved ones.

From Nov. 11 to Dec. 10, retailers participating in Be a Santa to a Senior will display Christmas trees that feature ornaments with seniors’ first names and their gift requests. Holiday shoppers can pick an ornament from these trees, buy the items listed and return them unwrapped to the store, with the ornament attached. Be a Santa to a Senior trees will be located at Walmart on Elm Road in Cortland, Optiview Vision Centers in Austintown and Niles, Walgreens in Austintown, Youngstown and Cornersburg, and the Trumbull County Career and Technical Center-Career Paths for the Teaching Profession Dept.

The local Home Instead Senior Care office will enlist volunteers from its staff, senior-care business associates, nonprofit workers and others to collect, wrap and distribute the gifts to local senior citizens who might otherwise spend the holiday alone.

For information, visit BeaSantatoaSenior.com or call 330-729-1233 or 330-544-1544.

The Home Instead Senior Care network is the world’s largest provider of nonmedical in-home care services for seniors.

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