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DEL.ICIO.USTeam effort brings Santa to seniors this year
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
This Christmas season, some Gwinnett residents are expanding their list to include a group often overlooked in all the holiday merriment — senior citizens living in our community who are alone and financially strapped.
Area merchants — and shoppers throughout the county — are helping us remember these people through our “Be a Santa to a Senior” project.
The project grew from an interest by the Home Instead Senior Care franchisee in Gwinnett to participate in a holiday community service project. (Home Instead Senior Care is a private company that provides nonmedical home care and companionship to senior citizens. The recipients of the program would not be clients of Home Instead Senior Care, but elderly who are identified as being in need.)
The goal of the “Be a Santa to a Senior” program is to provide holiday cheer and gifts to almost 400 seniors who are lonely, financially needy and least likely to receive a present during the holiday season. Shoppers and patrons at participating businesses can take an ornament from one of the display trees at the business and purchase gifts for a senior, based on the ideas listed on the ornament. The gifts are dropped off back at the participating merchants by Dec. 10, after which they will be gathered, wrapped and distributed.
How is this accomplished? Well, it takes the involvement, dedication and hard work of many people — most of whom I don’t know and the majority of whom I will never meet. But a few people are working particularly hard to make “Be a Santa to a Senior” come together.
Our nonprofit agency partner that provides us with the older adults to be the recipients of the gifts is the Gwinnett County Department of Community Services.
Help from area merchants has been essential, and we have been blessed with four who are hosting a Christmas tree at their location: Wal-Mart on Scenic Highway, Belk Department Store in Snellville, Chick-fil-A on Scenic Highway and Macaroni Grill at the Avenue at Webb Gin.
All the presents dropped off at the merchant locations will be retrieved and brought to our office to be logged in and catalogued properly. Guess who does all that running around? Well, every program needs a point person — a “go-to” individual who can get the project off the ground and nurture and care for it through completion. That person is our office manager, Sue Silva, one of those people who actually likes it when things get hectic and crazy, and the more hectic and crazy, the better.
The fifth-grade classes at Pharr Elementary and Grayson Elementary will participate in a holiday wrapping party for all the gifts bought, and Pharr Elementary has graciously offered to host the party. Not only will the children help wrap presents, but they will also get their creative juices flowing by making sure each senior has a handcrafted holiday card to accompany the gifts. Additionally, some community residents as well as some Home Instead caregivers have volunteered their time to help wrap presents.
Finally, we need a whole lot of elves to help deliver the presents. Most of the gifts will be delivered by volunteers with the Meals on Wheels program in Gwinnett County, along with some Home Instead Senior Care personnel.
Just telling you about the scope of this project makes my head spin. And realizing all the people who have so unselfishly given of their time, their money, their goodwill, their store space and their school space is overwhelming. I don’t know where to begin to thank everyone.
Most important, I want to acknowledge every individual who will take the time to select an ornament and shop for someone they don’t even know. Most of you have gone above and beyond in your generosity. I wish I had each of your names so I could personally thank you for your willingness to get involved and go the extra mile. This project has reinvigorated my faith in people and their decision to stop and help a stranger less fortunate during a time of the year when it is most appreciated.
Gerry Serotte and her brother Sam Serotte of Lawrenceville co-own the Snellville office of Home Instead Senior Care, which is in its 10th year of operation. The business assists the elderly with errands and nonmedical home care that allow them to stay at home as they grow older.
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