How to be a Santa to seniors in need

Home Instead has partnered with local businesses, senior facilities and volunteers to bring gifts to seniors in need. The participating senior facilities are: ManorCare Health Services, Rolling Meadows; ManorCare Health Services, Arlington Heights; Arden Courts, Elk Grove Village; and Clare Oaks Senior Living, Bartlett.

Local businesses will display Christmas trees holding ornaments bearing seniors' first names and desired gifts. Shoppers can pick out an ornament, buy the gift and return it, unwrapped, to that location.

Participating merchants are: American Chartered Bank, Elk Grove Village; American Chartered Bank, Schaumburg; Curves, Elk Grove Village; Curves, Hoffman Estates; Elk Grove Village Public Library; J. Scott Salon, Buffalo Grove; Pepsi Beverages Company Midwest Region - Culture & Inclusion Committee, Schaumburg; and Red Like Polish, Schaumburg.

Volunteers from the National Honor Societies at Elk Grove and Rolling Meadows high schools and program partners will then wrap and deliver the gifts.

The effort will continue through Dec. 12.

"A lot of seniors go through the holiday period alone and isolated. It is a time of reflection, depression and loneliness," says Kelly Hutchison, owner Home Instead Senior Care, Elk Grove Village. "The purpose of Be a Santa to a Senior is to pick them up with a gift and to make this a brighter time.

Each year Home Instead Senior Care offices throughout North America spread holiday cheer to lonely or financially challenged seniors through the Be a Santa to a Senior program. The program has attracted upward of 60,000 volunteers over the past six years distributing gifts to deserving seniors. Since introducing the Be a Santa to a Senior program, Home Instead Senior Care has helped provide 1.2 million gifts to more than 700,000 seniors.

For information, contact Cheryl Wilson at (847) 902-2375 or the Home Instead office at (847) 690-9825.