People will have the opportunity to play Santa to senior citizens this Christmas thanks to a program organized by Home Instead Senior Care called Be a Santa to a Senior.

Seniors in need will have at least one gift under their Christmas tree this year.

 “It started seven years ago and to date we have provided 1.5 million gifts to 750,000 seniors throughout North America,” said Joan Sinon, community service manager for Home Instead Senior Care in Toronto.

Home Instead Senior Care is an organization founded in Omaha, Nebraska that provides non-medical support services to seniors, and now operates throughout North America.

The organization in partnership with retailers connects shoppers with seniors during the holiday season.

“Retailers have Christmas trees in their stores that will carry ornaments that will have the name of the senior written on it, and the seniors wish list,” said Sinon. “Shoppers will pick an ornament, buy the gift and return it to the customer service desk.”

The names of the seniors are provided by non-profit organizations.

“They can identify the names of lonely and isolated seniors in the community,” said Sinon.

Once all the gifts are collected volunteers gather to wrap the gifts and delivered to them before Christmas, she said.

Guildwood Valu-Mart in Scarborough is just one of many retailers that is participating in the program, where the concept is popular.

“The customers in the area they really like it," said Candace Coates, a spokesperson for Guildwood Valu-Mart.  “It’s nice that someone older is getting something besides just the kids.”

According to Coates, Be A Santa to a Senior is so popular that there are never names leftover on the tree at the end of the event.

“That just doesn’t happen. We do really well,” she said.

Gifts for seniors can be purchased until December 10. For a list of retailers near you participating in the program visit www.beasantatoasenior.com

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