Be a Santa to a Senior brings holiday cheer to senior citizens

ZANESVILLE, Ohio- Often times during the holidays, we take a lot of time making sure kids have gifts under their trees to open, but we sometimes forget about another group that could use some holiday cheer.

Many senior citizens don’t receive Christmas gifts for various reasons. That’s where Home Instead stepped in. The senior care company partnered with local agencies to host its 10th “Be a Santa to a Senior” program. Cathy Creekmore, Development and Training Coordinator at Home Instead, says trees holding ornaments with the name of 92 seniors were placed at three locations throughout the community.

“We have some agencies in the area who give us names of seniors who would not normally receive a Christmas gift…Individuals in the community will pick up the tag, buy the gifts, and return it to the tree.”

The program started earlier this month. The trees were hosted at Wall of Books, Market Street Baptist Church, and Kessler Sign Company. Now the company will pick up the gifts from the locations and taken to a storage unit where the company then does inventory to be sure each senior has a gift before delivering the presents. Once inventory is done the gifts will be taken to the Muskingum County Senior Task Force to be wrapped.

“We have a week to inventory and wrap gifts. So next week is going to be a big flurry of activity as we ensure every senior gets a gift,” said Creekmore. “And we’re going to start delivering to the agencies December 11th. And then they have time to transport everything to their seniors.”

Some of the gifts the seniors requested included things such as: personal items, sweaters, candy, and adult coloring books. The agencies involved in the Be a Santa for a Senior program includes: Willow Haven, Carr Center, Area Agency on Aging, Zanesville Health and Rehab Center, and Adams Lane Care Center.