See How One Community Spreads Holiday Cheer to Seniors
The holidays are supposed to be a time of togetherness, but that’s not always the case, especially for older adults. Many seniors experience isolation and loneliness at this time of year, but one community is trying to spread a little holiday cheer. According to an article by The Boerne Star, this community outside of San Antonio, Texas, launched a “Be a Santa to a Senior” program.
Participants picked an ornament from a tree containing the name and wish list of an older adult in need. After purchasing the items on the wish list, they returned the unwrapped gifts in a gift bag with the ornament attached, which were then delivered to the seniors in time for Christmas.
The event organizer says the Be a Santa to a Senior program “is about more than presents, it’s about showing care, love and letting these individuals know they are not forgotten.”
While this was the first year for the program in Boerne, Be a Santa to a Senior has been going on nationwide since 2003. Since its inception, “65,000 volunteers have provided approximately 2.5 million gifts and made the holidays brighter for more than 750,000 deserving older adults.”
Another great gift for seniors would be financial security. The Seniors Trust is committed to improving the financial well-being of America’s retirees through the passage of The Social Security Expansion Act. It will give retirees an immediate benefits increase of about $200 a month, a fair annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), increased minimum benefits, and will ensure the long-term solvency of the Social Security program.
