Published: Tuesday, December 14, 2010, 5:54 AM
Local seniors will get a share of holiday cheer from those who participate in the seventh annual "Be a Santa to a Senior" program at Walgreens drug stores.
Home Instead Senior Care is coordinating the event, which brought in 5,000 gifts last year. The gifts were delivered to senior citizens in 29 senior facilities and through churches and individuals.
Nonprofit groups submit names of needy seniors to Home Instead for participation. Some seniors are identified by nursing homes and other assisted-living facilities; some are referred by neighbors and relatives.
The seniors’ wish lists are added to Walgreens’ Christmas trees. Then, shoppers wishing to buy items for a senior choose a wish list or two. There are an estimated 60 names on each tree.
In Baldwin County, Walgreens stores are located in Daphne, Fairhope, Foley, Gulf Shores and Spanish Fort.
"It’s a great program," said Jackie Woodward, a community service representative for Home Instead. "It’s a program designed to provide something special for a senior who may not have family around during the holidays."
Popular wish-list items include slippers, T-shirts, lotion, snacks, large-print calendars, puzzle books, Bibles, socks, light jackets and lap throws, Woodward said. "We have a lady who every year wants a new pair of red slippers," she said.
Many items on the wish lists are in stock at Walgreens, which makes the shopping easier, said executive assistant manager Casey Wade. On average, $20 per ornament will provide some basic necessities to a senior who may not normally receive gifts for the holidays, she added.
On Friday, volunteers will collect the unwrapped gifts from the Walgreens stores, then wrap them before distribution. "We delivered some items after the deadline" last year, Wade said.
The delivery of the gifts is timed to coincide with senior center Christmas parties, so the seniors have gifts to open, Woodward said. "We don’t want any senior to not have something to open," she said.
"Not many people think about senior citizens who don’t have families to spend Christmas with," Wade said.
Pierre Worthy, a Walgreens sales associate, will be one of the volunteer drivers delivering presents. He volunteered with the program last year, too.
Worthy, who is originally from Los Angeles but now makes his home in Mobile, enjoys getting involved in his community.
"I like giving back," he said. "My grandmother is 100 years old, so I have a big heart for the elderly."
"Be a Santa to a Senior is a way to show our gratitude to those older adults who have contributed so much to our community," added Nick Logiotatos, owner of the Home Instead Senior Care office. "We hope to reach out to many with this gesture of holiday cheer and goodwill. The holiday is often considered a time for children, but seniors, especially those who are isolated and lonely, need to be remembered as well."
To volunteer, or for details on the program, call Woodward at 251-342-6655 or e-mail Jackie.woodward@homeinstead.com. Businesses wishing to adopt a senior may visit www.beasantatoasenior.com.
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-- Amy Browning, Correspondent
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