"Be a Santa to a Senior" to Brighten the Holidays for Hundreds of Forgotten Seniors in Chatham, Beau

Volunteers and Santa to Deliver Gifts in December

Hundreds of local seniors who otherwise might be forgotten this holiday season will receive gifts and companionship once again through the local “Be a Santa to a Senior” program. Dozens of senior living facilities, non-profit organizations and area retailers are partnering with event sponsor Home Instead Senior Care of Savannah to brighten the lives of seniors in Chatham, Beaufort and Jasper counties.



“While we focus on children during this time of year, we also must remember our older generation that too often is overlooked,” said Rachel Carson, owner of the local Home Instead Senior Care office, providing companionship and non-medical home care for seniors. “But it’s not just about the gifts. The program is also designed to provide social interaction for seniors who are unlikely to have guests during the holidays.”  



From Monday, Nov. 3, until Monday, December 1st, shoppers can select ornaments from “Be a Santa to a Senior” trees. In Savannah the locations are Darby Bank, all four Savannah locations.; Shear Elegance, 8507 Ferguson Ave.; Neal Chiropractic and Wellness, 1101 E. 51st St.; Curves, 7135 Hodgson Memorial; Merry Times, 4521 Habersham St.; and The Wound Care Clinic, 815 E. 68th St.  Other locations include Markel’s Card and Gift Shop, 1008-P Fording Island Road in Bluffton; MCAS Beaufort Credit Union, 3481 Trask Parkway in Beaufort and Coastal States Bank, all four locations.

Other agencies are participating in other ways.  Memorial Day School is having a dress down day to raise money; Johnson High School is doing a stuffed animal drive; Curves at Savannah Mall is gathering wrapping paper and supplies, Generation One is donating storage space for gifts.  On Wednesday December 3rd from 6-8PM there will be a Progressive Dinner and Raffle at Palm Meadows Court, Palm Meadows Village and Hawthorne Inn with proceeds donated to Be A Santa To A Senior.

Each ornament lists the first name of a senior in need, along with gift requests. Seniors were selected by participating non-profit organizations. Holiday shoppers can purchase gifts and return them, along with the ornament, to the tree location.  Home Instead Senior Care then enlists the help of community volunteers and staff members to collect, wrap, and distribute the gifts. 

Wrapping parties are scheduled for Tuesday, December 2, at Generation One, Tuesday, Dec. 9, at Broadcreek Care Center, and Wednesday, Dec. 10, at S.H.A.R.E.   Santa Claus and many volunteers will deliver gifts beginning Thursday, Dec. 11. Anyone interested in volunteering is encouraged to contact Home Instead Senior Care at (912) 355-0099, (843)842-3372 or hiscrach@bellsouth.net. Businesses are encouraged to contact the local Home Instead Senior Care office about adopting groups of seniors.  For more information about the program, tree locations and community partners, log on to www.beasantatoasenior.com.

Last year the national program distributed more than 412,000 gifts to 250,000 deserving seniors across the U.S. with the assistance of 26,500 volunteers.    Since “Be a Santa to a Senior” was launched four years ago, Home Instead Senior Care franchises across the country have helped provide more than 930,000 gifts to nearly 570,000 seniors.     Last year 900 gifts were given to 200 local seniors with the assistance of 150 volunteers.