Be A Santa To A Senior

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Seniors’ Economic Struggles Continue This Holiday; Santa Program Provides Assistance

Be a Santa to a Senior^®, the popular campaign that has delivered 1.5 million gifts to needy seniors throughout North America during the past seven years, again is helping older adults cope in tough economic times. 

The Fredericksburg office of the Home Instead Senior Care^® network, the world’s largest provider of non-medical in-home care and companionship services for older adults has partnered with Geico, Mary Washington Health Center, Belk Department Stores of Fredericksburg and Culpeper, TJ Maxx of Culpeper, YMCA of Spotsylvania, Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center and Stafford Hospital, as well as  Chick-Fil-A, Intuit, Healthsouth Rehabilitation Hospital, Patient First of Stafford and Rappahannock Electric Cooperative to provide gifts and companionship to seniors who otherwise might not receive either this holiday season.   The Culpeper office has partnered with Department of Social Services and their Senior Angel Tree.

“Many older adults continue to struggle in a down economy, particularly those who live alone with no family nearby to help provide resources,” said Karl Karch, owner of the Home Instead Senior Care offices serving the city of Fredericksburg, Stafford, Spotsylvania, King George, Westmoreland, Caroline, Orange, Culpeper, Rappahannock, Madison and Page Counties. Seniors have faced a trying year amid the threat of Social Security payment delays as part of the debt-ceiling debate. What’s more, seniors have lost almost one-third (32 percent) of their buying power since 2000, according to the Annual Survey of Senior Costs from The Senior Citizens League (TSCL).

That’s where Be a Santa to a Senior can help. Before the holiday season, the participating local nonprofit organizations will identify needy and isolated seniors and provide those names to the local Home Instead Senior Care offices. Christmas trees, which will go up at Geico, Mary Washington Health Center, Belk Department Stores (Fredericksburg and Culpeper locations), TJ Maxx in Culpeper, Healthsouth Rehabilitation Hospital, Kmart of Fredericksburg and Stafford Hospital on November 22nd, will feature ornaments with the first names only of the seniors and their gift requests.

Holiday shoppers can pick up an ornament, buy items on the list and return them unwrapped to the store, along with the ornament attached. “We hope holiday shoppers will open their hearts to those seniors who have given so much to make our community a better place,” Karch said.

The Home Instead offices of Fredericksburg and Culpeper have received close to 1,000 names of needy and lonely seniors.  They are expecting to deliver approximately 2,000 gifts.

For more information about the program, visit www.beasantatoasenior.com.

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Editor’s Note: For more information, or to arrange photos, contact Deborah Franks, Director of Operations to adopt a senior ornament (s) at 540.899.1422 or dfranks@homeinstead.com

ABOUT HOME INSTEAD SENIOR CARE

Founded in 1994 in Omaha by Lori and Paul Hogan, the Home Instead Senior Care^® network is the world's largest provider of non-medical in-home care services for seniors, with more than 900 independently owned and operated franchises providing in excess of 45 million hours of care throughout the United States, Canada, Japan, Portugal, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Taiwan, Switzerland, Germany, South Korea, Finland, Austria, Italy and Puerto Rico. Local Home Instead Senior Care offices employ more than 65,000 CAREGivers^SM worldwide who provide basic support services – assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs), personal care, medication reminders, meal preparation, light housekeeping, errands, incidental transportation and shopping – which enable seniors to live safely and comfortably in their own homes for as long as possible. At Home Instead Senior Care, it’s relationship before task, while continuing to provide superior quality service that enhances the lives of seniors everywhere.