Communities Again Asked To ‘Be A Santa’ To A Senior

More than 335 deserving seniors in Trumbull, Monroe, and Newtown will receive a generous dose of holiday magic from a local senior care company that has organized a collection drive in collaboration with many area business and volunteer groups.

Last year, more than 53,000 deserving seniors throughout North America received gifts as part of the first annual Be a Santa to a Senior Program sponsored by Home Instead Senior Care, a provider of nonmedical home care and companionship for the elderly. The local Home Instead Senior Care franchise, which has offices in Newtown and Stratford, will once again organize this project through until December 16.

A total of 250 seniors in Trumbull have been targeted for Be a Santa to a Senior. In addition, 50 seniors in Monroe and 35 seniors in Newtown will receive holiday gifts.

“We were thrilled with the initial response this community service program received both on a local as well as a national level,” said Sharon Massafra, president and owner of Home Instead Senior Care.

“Be a Santa to a Senior is more than just a gift-giving project. This program is designated to help stimulate human contact and social interaction for seniors who are unlikely to have guests during the holidays,” she said.

Here is how the program works: Prior to the holiday season, the Social Services Departments in Trumbull and Monroe as well as the Newtown Senior Center identified more than 335 deserving seniors in the community and provided those names to Home Instead Senior Care.

Decorated Christmas trees have been placed in six branch locations of People’s Bank, the host sponsor, including 6 Queen Street in Newtown.

Each tree features ornaments with the first name of each senior and his or her respective gift. Area residents are encouraged to pick up an ornament, buy the item on the gift list and return it unwrapped to People’s Bank by Friday, December 9, along with the ornament attached.

Home Instead Senior Care has enlisted volunteers from its staff and area businesses and volunteer groups to collect, wrap, and distribute the gifts to these seniors.

In Newtown, the Connecticut VNA Brookfield office has volunteered to collect the unwrapped gifts. The Newtown Triad seniors group will host a gift-wrapping party in mid-December at the Newtown Senior Center.

Call the Newtown office at 426-6666, the Stratford office at 203-380-1552, or visit the website www.santatoasenior.com for specific information about Be a Santa to a Senior.

If you know the name of a deserving senior, or are interested in volunteering for the Be a Santa to a Senior program, call one of the Home Instead Senior Care offices.