Hollidaysburg Herald - Reliable News for Hollidaysburg

"Be A Santa To A Senior" is a true community program, with support from local businesses, retailers, numerous volunteers and members of the community. The Home Instead Senior Care office serving Blair and Cambria counties has partnered with area businesses and organizations to help with gift collection and distribution.

Home Instead Senior Care is holding a wrapping party on Dec. 12 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Church of the Brethren, located at 1028 Penn St. in Hollidaysburg. There are more than 900 gifts to wrap for more than 300 senior citizens this Christmas season.

The clients are not just Home Instead clients. Gifts are also given to residents at local personal care homes such as MayBrook, Hillview, Autumn Estates, Cornerstone, John Paul Manor, and St. Leonards.

In order for seniors to receive these gifts during the month of November and part of December, Home Instead partners with businesses from the area and places trees with paper ornaments representing each senior and his or her Christmas wish. Each ornament is an individual request for items, so no two ornaments are alike. After the community chooses an ornament, and provides the gift(s) requested, all gifts are collected, and the Home Instead Senior Care throws a wrapping party. Home Instead invites anyone to come and help wrap since there are always so many gifts to wrap and put the gifts in Christmas bags decorated by the preschoolers at BIG FISH Preschool located at the Hollidaysburg First United Methodist Church. The school has partnered with Home Instead for the past three years.

Volunteers are always needed to assist at the wrapping party. If a person wishes to join Home Instead on Dec. 12, call (814) 693-2911 so the program is aware of how many volunteers are going to be at the wrapping party, so enough snacks and beverages will be provided. If a person is unable to volunteer themselves, key items such as wrapping paper and tape donations are always welcome. There is a woman in the community who crochets lap blankets all year round and donates them to the program. Every year the number of seniors joining the program increases.