Give Back to a Senior in your Community this Holiday Season - Be a Santa to a Senior
By Catherine Campbell
The holidays are around the corner. Get ready for a busy time spent decorating, cooking and baking, going to parties and entertaining family, overindulging, and getting less sleep all while trying to find the perfect gift for everyone on your list. It’s a lot of work but, for most people, it is a joyful time and worth the effort. It is a time when warmth, empathy and love abound. There is a certain spirit in the air allowing us to see more clearly the true meaning of friendship, the importance of family and the blessing of good health while also recognizing that not everyone is as lucky. It is the one time of year when most everyone wants to give back and do something special for those who are not as fortunate. If you are looking for a way to make your mark and do something for someone else, consider helping us make the holidays more special for a disadvantaged senior!
Every year, The Berkeley supports Home Instead Senior Care in their endeavor to ensure that seniors with financial restraints, health issues and less access to family can ‘feel the love’ of the season. Each of our four buildings has a Christmas tree dedicated to Be a Santa to a Senior. Ornaments with a senior’s name and the gift they would like to receive are hanging from the trees.
We invite you to visit one of our buildings, take an ornament or two and bring the items back to us for wrapping and distribution. This program is in its 13th year and every year it grows bigger and better thanks to the generosity of our community. We hope you will consider helping in our efforts this holiday season!
If you can’t give a gift that costs money, give your time or surprise someone with a random act of kindness. It does not take much to brighten another person’s day and it will most assuredly brighten yours as well! There is something special about knowing you have made positive impact on another person. Spending time with a senior you know is the very best way to make them feel special so find a grandparent, aunt, uncle or neighbour and give them the gift of your company this holiday season.
