Although I dislike and disagree with stores and other places of business that begin to celebrate the holidays far before any reasonable calendar date, certain worthwhile charitable endeavors must, of necessity, be planned well in advance.
One very worthwhile cause, now in its fifth year, is Be a Santa to a Senior, a program designed to give small gifts to local seniors who may be alone and struggling to keep up with increasing living costs.
Last year, for example, one senior wrote a letter saying what a big surprise it was to receive a gift of assorted warm socks and how she appreciated the generosity of a stranger.
The program, sponsored by the local Home Instead Senior Care office in Guilford, providers of nonmedical home care and companionship, works this way: Prior to the holidays, participating nonprofit organizations identify seniors in the community and give those names to Rick Cortellessa, who is in charge of the program for Home Instead.
Then, special Christmas trees will go up in Guilford at the Community Center, Walmart and Forte’s Gourmet Food Market; in Madison, at Stop & Shop and Robert’s Food Center; and at the Stop & Shop stores in North Branford and East Haven.
These trees will feature ornaments with a code for the senior’s name and their gift request. Shoppers can choose an ornament, buy an item on the list and after wrapping it, return the gift to the store.
Home Instead enlists the help of staff and other volunteers in distributing the gifts directly to the seniors’ homes so that a short holiday visit will be part of the gift presentation. Girl Scout Troop 62179 will help hand out gifts and sing carols at Watrous Nursing Center Dec. 21, and Troop 622303 will be singing and giving gifts at Apple Rehab in Guilford Dec. 19. The North Branford Senior Center and Social Services will have volunteers delivering gifts the week of Dec. 20.
Other participants in the Be a Santa program are The Guilford Foundation, Guilford Interfaith Ministries, towns of Guilford, Madison and East Haven Social Services and its senior centers.
According to the owner, David Delancy, “Last year, Home Instead experienced unprecedented giving in our communities. We hope to again reach out this year to even more older adults with gestures of holiday cheer and goodwill.”
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