Be A Santa: Local Program Brightens Holidays for Area Seniors

This season, many Walnut Creek area seniors who are alone or impoverished will receive some holiday cheer thanks to the Be a Santa to a Senior® program. Sponsored by the local Home Instead Senior Care® office, the program brings together area nonprofits, retailers, numerous volunteers and members of the community to provide gifts and companionship for lonely and isolated seniors.

“It is heartbreaking to think of the senior members of our community spending the holidays all by themselves, without any gifts or any way to celebrate the season,” says Tess Locsin, customer service manager of the Home Instead Senior Care office serving Walnut Creek. “But all too often, that’s what happens when seniors live alone. It can be a really tough time of year for them.”

Home Instead Senior Care has partnered with Catholic Charities, Concord Senior Center, Heritage/Towers Senior Apartments, Concord Nursing Homes and local Boy Scout troops to help with the gift collection and distribution. Program officials hope to collect several hundred gifts in order to help more than 700 area seniors this holiday season.

“The Be a Santa to a Senior holiday program is something our office and our community looks forward to each year,” said Locsin. “Along with our program partners, we will be wrapping and distributing gifts to local seniors who may otherwise spend the holidays alone.”

A Be a Santa to a Senior tree will be located at the following locations:
• Min’s Kitchen, 3505 Clayton Rd (El Monte Shopping Center)
• Minamoto (Japanese Restaurant), 4305 Clayton Rd., Ste. A
• City of Concord Civic Center, 1950 Parkside Drive, Wing A
• Concord Police Department, 1350 Galindo Street
• The Old Spaghetti Factory, 1955 Mt. Diablo (Nov. 27-Dec. 20)
• Raley’s Brentwood, 2400 San Creek Rd, Brentwood, CA 94513
• D’Ann’s Academy of Dance, 1875 Adobe St., Concord, CA 94520

Participating retail locations will display Be a Santa to a Senior Christmas trees from Nov. 10 – Dec. 20 that feature ornaments with seniors’ first names and their gift requests. Holiday shoppers can pick ornaments from the trees, buy the items listed and return them unwrapped (and with the ornament attached) to the store prior to Dec. 20.