The holidays are a time to celebrate the joy and warmth of the season with friends and family.
By Jacob Engels
In Orlando, the local Home Instead Senior Care® office is inviting the community to celebrate with local seniors who may be alone during the holiday season.
The Home Instead Senior Care office serving Orange, Seminole and Osceola counties is helping to facilitate Be a Santa to a Senior®, a community program that provides gifts and companionship to seniors who may be isolated from friends or family during the holiday season.
The program is made possible through the generous support of local businesses, nonprofit organizations, retailers, numerous volunteers and members of the community.
“The holidays can be a troubling time for seniors. They may feel the absence or the distance of loved ones,” said Debra Foscolo, owner of the Orlando Home Instead Senior Care office.
“Be a Santa to a Senior provides a ray of hope for many seniors, and it means so much for them to know that people care and value them as members of our community.”
The local Home Instead Senior Care office has partnered with Seniors First, Inc. and Meals on Wheels to help with gift collection and distribution. Holiday shoppers are invited to participate in Be a Santa to a Senior by picking up a paper ornament at a participating location.
Participating locations will display Be a Santa to a Senior trees from Monday, Nov. 14 to Friday, Dec. 9, which will be hung with ornaments featuring seniors’ first names and their desired gifts.
Holiday shoppers can choose an ornament, buy the requested gift and return it back to the store with the ornament attached.
There’s no need to worry about wrapping — community volunteers and program partners will wrap and deliver the gifts to local seniors in time for the holidays.
“Be a Santa to a Senior provides a much-needed boost for seniors who may be isolated, not just through gifts, but through interaction and companionship,” said Foscolo.
“We’re so grateful to have a community that comes together to show our local seniors they are not alone during the holidays.”
Be a Santa to a Senior trees can be found at the following locations:
In Orlando at Bealls Outlet Stores:
o 1728 W Sand Lake Rd
o 4410 Curry Ford Rd
o 638 N Alafaya Trail
o 12413 S Orange Blossom Trail
o 2668 E Colonial Dr
o 350 E Michigan St
Kindred at Home: 4776 New Broad St #110, Gold’s Gym: 7733 Turkey Lake Rd, Home Instead Senior Care: 3655 Maguire Blvd #150
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