Be a Santa to a Senior

media release: As the community prepares to celebrate the season of giving, Home Instead® encourages Madison area residents to share the holiday spirit with older adults who may not have family and feel alone. Through Be a Santa to a Senior^®, community members can give a special holiday gift to an older adult who may otherwise go without.   

“A simple gift can bring such joy to older adults who may not have loved ones to celebrate with,” said Tim Francis, home care consultant at the Madison Home Instead office. “Through Be a Santa to a Senior, we can help them feel the holiday spirit.” 

This year program coordinators hope to collect gifts for 45 local older adults. This is the program’s 10^th year in the area. 

To participate, shoppers can look for a Be a Santa to a Senior tree at the Madison Home Instead office, located at 1574 W. Broadway Suite 101. Ornaments featuring the name and desired gift of an older adult will be on display, and shoppers can buy the requested gift and return it unwrapped to the location with the ornament attached. Ornaments will be available from November 14 to December 12. The gifts will be delivered to local older adults in time for the holidays. 

“This program is so much more than gift-giving – it's about the special moments and joy shared between the older adults and the community around them,” said Francis. "There is nothing better than seeing the smile on an older adult’s face when they open their gift.”  

Be a Santa to a Senior is a true community program. The Home Instead office serving Madison has partnered with local businesses, non-profit organizations, volunteers, and members of the community to help with gift collection and distribution. 

Since the program’s inception in 2003, Be a Santa to a Senior has mobilized more than 65,000 volunteers, provided approximately 2.2 million gifts, and brightened the season for more than 750,000 deserving older adults nationwide. For more information visit BeaSantatoaSenior.com or call 608.424.4291. 

To learn more about helping older adults in the Madison area, visit imreadytocare.com.