Give the gift of love to a deserving senior this holiday season

The holiday season is also the season of giving and a time to share smiles with those around you. As you gather to drink hot cocoa and sing carols with family and friends, it’s important to remember there are seniors in your community who would love to celebrate, too. However, many seniors live alone, without someone to share this special time.

Home Instead Senior Care is once again offering the Redlands community a chance to spread joy to local seniors. Through the Be a Santa to a Senior program, community members can give a senior a special holiday gift. Since the program’s inception in 2003, the Be a Santa to a Senior program has mobilized more than 60,000 volunteers, provided approximately 1.2 million gifts and brightened the season for more than 700,000 deserving seniors nationwide. Last year, more than 800 local seniors received 3,200 gifts.

“The Be a Santa to a Senior program is all about including seniors in the joy of the holiday season,” said Geneva Labate, owner of the Home Instead Senior Care office serving San Bernardino County. “A simple gift shows them they are a loved and vital member of our community.”

Be a Santa to a Senior is a true community program, with generous support from Southern California businesses, nonprofit organizations, retailers, numerous volunteers and members of the community. The Home Instead Senior Care office serving Redlands has partnered with local organizations to help with gift collection and distribution.

It’s easy to help. Visit one of the participating locations listed below and look for the Be a Santa to a Senior tree on display until December 17. Each tree will be decorated with ornaments featuring seniors’ first names and gift suggestions. Holiday shoppers can choose an ornament, buy the requested gift and return it to the store with the ornament attached. There’s no need to worry about wrapping — community volunteers and program partners will wrap and deliver the gifts to local seniors in time for the holidays.

“While it may seem like a small act of kindness, it can really make a difference for someone this holiday season,” said Labate. “Watching seniors open the gifts they received through Be a Santa to a Senior and seeing the smiles and appreciation on their faces is one of my favorite parts of the holiday season.”

Be a Santa to a Senior trees can be found at the following locations:

• Alta Vista Credit Union, 1425 W Lugonia Avenue, Redlands, CA
• Jose’s Mexican Restaurant, 33527 Yucaipa Blvd., Yucaipa, CA
• Redlands Chiropractic, 620 Alabama St, Redlands, CA
• Redlands Sewing Center, 422 E State St, Redlands, CA
• Jake’s Bistro and Brew, 12170 4th St., Yucaipa, CA
• Blossom Grove Alzheimer’s Special Care, 11116 New Jersey St., Redlands, CA
• Jose’s Mexican Restaurant, 950 S. E St, San Bernardino, CA
• Alta Vista Credit Union, 1425 W Lugonia Ave, Redlands, CA
• Dream Dinners, 1404 Industrial Park Ave, Redlands, CA
• Linda Valley Assisted Living, 25393 Cole St, Loma Linda, Ca.
• Jose’s Mexican Restaurant, 2094 W Redlands Blvd., Redlands, CA
• Mi Cocina Mexican Restaurant, 27961 Highland Ave, Highland, CA
• Mission Commons Gracious Retirement Living, 10 Terracina Blvd., Redlands, CA
• Martha Green’s Eating Room, 107 E Citrus Ave, Redlands, CA
• Carlson Chiropractic, 529 Cajon St, Redlands, CA
• La Loma Federal Credit Union, 26151 Mayberry St, Loma Linda, CA
• Beaver Medical Group, 2 W. Fern Avenue, Redlands, CA
• Arrowhead Aftercare, 27007 W 5th Street, Highland, CA
• Beaver Advantage Health Center, 1600 E. Citrus Avenue, Redlands, CA
• Beaver Medical Group, 1690 Barton Road, Redlands, CA
• Beaver Medical Group, 33758 Yucaipa Blvd., Yucaipa, CA
• Cotton Gin Fabric, 411 E. State Street, Redlands, CA
• Golden Oaks Senior Living and Retirement Community, 33398 Oak Glen Road, Yucaipa, CA
• Highland Care Center of Redlands, 700 E. Highland Avenue, Redlands, CA
• InnovAge PACE, 410 East Parkcenter Circle, San Bernardino, CA
• Somerford Place, 1319 Brookside Avenue, Redlands, CA
• The UPS Store, 25745 Barton Road, Loma Linda, CA
• Villas at San Bernardino, 2985 North G Street, San Bernardino, CA
• Wildwood Canyon Villa, 22951 Colorado Street, Yucaipa, CA
• Yucaipa Senior Center, 12202 First Street, Yucaipa, CA
• Home Instead Senior Care, 461 Tennessee Street, Suite O, Redlands, CA
• Epic Management, 1980 Orange Tree Lane Suite 103, Redlands, CA
• Epic Management, 1615 Orange Tree Lane, Redlands, CA

For more information about the program, visit BeaSantatoaSenior.com or call (909)-370-0343.

For more information about how you can help seniors in your community, visit imreadytocare.com.