‘Be a Santa to a Senior’ Lets Brainerd Community Connect with Senior Citizens

Home Instead is a senior care agency that has offered seniors multiple types of home care for nearly three decades. Their “Be a Santa to a Senior” program gathers the names of nominated seniors and makes tags with gift ideas, and the community then purchases and delivers gifts to the seniors.

For the 15th year, Home Instead’s Baxter office is running the program in the Brainerd Lakes Area. 550 gifts will be distributed to seniors all over the community. With their home care services, Home Instead has great connections to seniors in the area, so getting names is not a problem.

“A lot of them we come in contact with, but other people, other facilities or agencies in the area that know of seniors that may be lonely this time of year, they give us names as well,” said Home Instead Executive Director Katelin Hohertz.

The holiday season is one where most of us spend time with our loved ones. For some seniors, they no longer have that option, which can make them feel isolated during this time of the year.

“I think along with the loneliest time of year, a lot of people around holidays, it’s a remembrance of people that aren’t there, loved ones you might have lost, spouses they might have lost, friends they might have lost,” said Hohertz. “So I think them getting a gift is just a representation that someone in your community thought of you.”

Unfortunately, some senior citizens don’t get a lot of human interaction. Because some can’t get around much on their own, they might not get as many visitors as they would hope, so a program like “Be a Santa to a Senior” can help put a smile on their faces.

“A lot of them, their family isn’t close or it’s not easy to get to, or they have a hard time getting out of the house. A lot of times they just spend spend holidays alone and them getting a gift and a visit from someone can really cheer ’em up.”

Fortunately, community members and businesses line up to help be a Santa to a senior. After all, it is the season of giving.

“Seeing the community come together and want to do this, I think, is probably the the coolest part about it. And if you get a chance to deliver a gift, you know that … them loving it and appreciating it is why everyone wants to do it.”

Delivery day for the program will be on Tuesday, Dec. 19.