GORHAM — As the community prepares to celebrate the season of giving, Home Instead® encourages Cumberland County residents to share the holiday spirit with older adults who have limited means or may be celebrating the holidays alone, according to a company press release. Through Be a Santa to a Senior®, community members can give a special holiday gift to an older adult who may otherwise go without.
“A simple gift can bring such joy to older adults who may not have loved ones to celebrate with,” said Bill Jenks, owner of the Gorham Home Instead office. “Through Be a Santa to a Senior, we can help them feel the holiday spirit.”
Last year, more than 750 older adults in Cumberland County received gifts thanks to the community’s generous support, and the planning committee hopes to serve a similar number this year, the release stated. This is the program’s 11th year in the area.
Be a Santa to a Senior display trees can be found at:
• DiMillo’s On The Water, 25 Long Wharf, Portland
• Sebago BrewPub, 29 Elm Street, Gorham
• Sebago Brewery & Tasting Room, 616 Main St, Gorham
• The Blue Pig Diner, 19 State Street, Gorham
• Ocean Gardens Restaurant and Tavern, 390 Main St, Gorham
• Home Instead, 502 Main Street, Gorham
• Blue Seal Feeds, 43 Main Street Windham
• Chute’s Family Restaurant, 686 Roosevelt Trail, Windham
• The Black Horse Tavern, 26 Portland Road, Bridgton
• Bridgton Community Center, 15 Depot Street, Bridgton
Tags with the names and desired gifts of older adults will be on these trees beginning Nov. 4. Shoppers can take a tag, buy the requested gifts, and return them unwrapped in a holiday gift bag with the tag attached to the tree location or to the Gorham Home Instead office by Dec. 5. Volunteers will then have time to deliver the gifts to the intended recipients.
“This program is so much more than gift-giving — it’s about the special moments and joy shared between the older adults and the community around them,” said Jenks. “There is nothing better than seeing the pure delight this program brings to our older neighbors.”
Be a Santa to a Senior is a community effort, with support from businesses, nonprofit organizations, retailers, and numerous volunteers. The Gorham Home Instead office has partnered with several community organizations: local Girl Scout troops are making ornaments as a thank you to everyone who takes a tag and shops for an older adult; the Gorham, Westbrook, and Windham police departments will help deliver gifts to the residents of those towns; and several nursing homes and assisted living facilities will hold holiday gatherings where they will distribute gifts to their residents.
Since the program’s nation-wide inception in 2003, Be a Santa to a Senior has mobilized more than 65,000 volunteers, provided approximately 2.2 million gifts, and brightened the season for more than 750,000 deserving older adults, the release stated. For more information visit BeaSantatoaSenior.com or call 207-839-0441.
To learn more about helping older adults in Cumberland County visit imreadytocare.com.
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