Be a Santa to a Senior joins Kingston to spread holiday cheer to older adults

The program partners with local non-profits to identify seniors who are lonely or financially challenged and provide personalized gift ideas.

Home Instead’s Be a Santa to a Senior® (BASTAS) program is joining Kingston for the first time this holiday season to bring gifts and joy to older adults who might otherwise go without.

Since launching in 2003, the community initiative has delivered more than 20 million gifts to over 750,000 seniors across Canada and the United States. The program partners with local non-profits to identify seniors who are lonely or financially challenged and provide personalized gift ideas.

Community Resource Manager, Kristin Curran says that seniors often get overlooked over the holidays.

Participating Kingston businesses will display Christmas trees decorated with ornaments, each listing a senior’s first name or code name and their gift wish list. Shoppers can select an ornament, purchase the requested items, and place the gifts under the tree. Volunteers will collect and deliver all presents by December 15.

Curran explains how the process works.

Home Instead encourages Kingston residents to participate and make the holidays brighter for someone in their community.

Providence Care is reminding residents that it runs two separate holiday gift programs for older adults in the Kingston area.

Providence Manor’s Resident Giving Tree invites the community to buy Christmas gifts for long-term care residents who may not otherwise receive one. The second program, Be a Santa to a Senior, supports clients in Providence Care’s community programs, many of whom live with Alzheimer’s disease, dementia or traumatic brain injuries.

The organization says distinguishing the two initiatives helps ensure seniors receive the right support wherever they live.

For more details or to get involved, visit homeinstead.ca.

Story by Alyssa Brush