Be a Santa to a Senior program calls out for donations this holiday season

A local organization is calling on residents to help spread some cheer to seniors this holiday season.

This will be the 15th year Home Instead Senior Care has been running the Be a Santa to a Senior program in the Halifax area.

The program is aimed at supporting seniors who may be overlooked, isolated or alone during the holiday season by providing them with gifts from local residents.

This year, the Halifax and South Shore office is looking to provide 2,000 gifts to roughly 1,500 seniors in the area.

Brittany Keough, service and engagement director for the organization, told CityNews Halifax this program helps seniors who may not be able to provide for themselves.

“A lot of the gifts are things like a warm blanket, socks, personal care items, pyjamas, things of that nature,” she says. “Especially with the pandemic, this year is especially important to spread the holiday cheer to seniors who are in need.”

Keough says loneliness and social isolation can severely impact the mental and physical health of seniors.

“Even those who do have families locally who can come visit all the time just haven't been able to because of fear of spreading COVID,” she says.

Most of the seniors are asking for gifts such as blankets, loungewear, accessories and slippers.

Since the program began in 2003, around 2 million gifts have been given to seniors worldwide.

For more information on the program and how to donate, Keough says people can visit the program's website and enter their postal code to view local seniors' Amazon wish lists.