- April 18, 2024
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by: Connor Hayes
for Home Instead Senior Care
At a time when it may be more important than ever, Home Instead’s Be A Santa to a Senior has new options for community participation.
Program coordinators made adjustments with the safety of donors, seniors and volunteers in mind. With seniors in Northeast Florida more isolated than ever because of concerns due to the virus, this year, for the first time in the program’s 17-year history, along with traditional trees with gift-request ornaments, Home Instead is teaming up with Amazon Business, to create a contactless gift-giving experience for volunteers and recipients. The new Amazon Business collaboration will provide the same holiday cheer to local seniors while also prioritizing safety.
“The Be a Santa to a Senior program brings so much joy to seniors in our community,” said Doug Myers, general manager of the Home Instead offices serving Jacksonville, St. Augustine, Palm Coast and surrounding communities. “We’ve all felt isolated at some point during the pandemic, but seniors are especially at risk of feeling isolated and a simple gift can show them that we are thinking of them. And that’s more important this year than ever.”
Be a Santa to a Senior relies on the support of the local community and volunteers, as well as area businesses, nonprofit organizations, and retailers. This year Home Instead has partnered with the Council on Aging and Community Hospice and Palliative Care.
To help, visit one of the participating locations listed below and look for the Be a Santa to a Senior tree on display. Trees will be up through Dec. 16. Each tree will be decorated with ornaments featuring seniors’ first names and gift suggestions. Holiday shoppers can choose an ornament, buy the requested gift and return it unwrapped to the store with the ornament attached.
Donors can also visit BeASantatoaSenior.com and enter their zip code to view Wish Lists for local seniors in the area which are available on Amazon Business through Dec. 16. A personalized greeting can be included with the gift which will be safely delivered to the senior.
“We need the community’s help more than ever to make sure our seniors feel connected this year,” said Myers. “With all that’s happened this year, we knew we had to find a way to reach those seniors with some holiday cheer, and we are grateful for the community’s support.”
Since the program’s creation in 2003, Be a Santa to a Senior has provided approximately 2.1 million gifts and brightened the season for more than 750,000 deserving seniors nationwide. With adjustments, Home Instead will be able to continue the annual gift-giving program while following social distancing and safety precautions during COVID-19.
Be a Santa to a Senior trees can be found at the Flagler County locations:
For more information about the program, visit BeaSantatoaSenior.com or call 386-986-1931
