Gifts for seniors being collected

A local company is sponsoring a holiday campaign designed to brighten the lives of hundreds of local seniors.

Home Instead Senior Care has teamed up with local community organizations, retailers and volunteers to collect, wrap and donate gifts to needy or lonely seniors in McHenry County.

This year's campaign will focus on isolated seniors, some of whom are among this nation's "elder orphans."

"We see older adults who have no one during this festive season and that makes for a very sad and lonely time," said Robert Koch, owner of the Home Instead Senior Care office serving McHenry, Lake, Kane and Cook counties.

"Whether they are in a nursing home or in their own homes, where more are choosing to stay, it's important to reach out to isolated older adults during this special time of the year."

The program runs through Dec. 13.

Here's how it works.

Before the holiday season, the participating local non-profit organizations will identify needy, orphaned and isolated seniors in the community and provide names to Home Instead Senior Care.

Christmas trees, which are now in Wal-Mart stores in Crystal Lake and McHenry, will feature ornaments with the first names of the needy seniors and their respective gift requests. Holiday shoppers can pick up an ornament, buy items on the list and return them unwrapped to the store, with the senior ornament attached.

Home Instead Senior Care will then enlist volunteer help of its staff, senior-care business associates, nonprofit workers and others to collect, wrap and distribute the gifts to these seniors.

A community gift-wrapping event will be held Dec. 17. Members of a local Girl Scout troop will help with the wrapping.

Last year, 196,500 lonely, needy seniors across North America received 312,500 gifts through this program and 21,000 volunteers helped at 1,500 locations.

"Be a Santa to a Senior is an annual holiday tradition that is changing the way many view the needs of seniors during the holidays," Koch said.

"We hope that the community will support our efforts as a way of giving back to the seniors in our area who have given us so much."

For details, call (847) 462-0303.