Ho! Ho! Ho! Help make holidays happy for seniors

Sunshine Pharmacy and Home Instead Senior Care are hosting a kick-off party for “Be a Santa to a Senior” from 4-6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 4, at the pharmacy. Anyone who wants to learn more about the program that provides holiday gifts to seniors in Collier and Lee counties is welcome.

Last year’s effort resulted in the delivery of more than 1,200 gifts. Organizers say the need is even greater this year.

“Most people aren’t aware that there are hundreds, if not thousands, of seniors in every community who have no family and are alone,” says Sue Bidwell, owner of the Home Instead Senior Care.

Here’s how the program works: Participating nonprofit organizations identify needy seniors in the community and provide names to Home Instead Senior Care. Christmas trees and wreaths bearing ornaments with the first names of those seniors and their specific gift requests go up in participating retail locations, where shoppers are encouraged to pick an ornament, buy items on the list and return them unwrapped to the store. Home Instead Senior Care then enlists volunteers to collect, wrap and distribute the gifts to these seniors.

Gifts will be collected through Dec. 11 at these locations in Collier County: • Cooper’s Farm Market, 285 Ninth St. • Massage Envy, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Road • Mel’s Diner, all locations • Patric’s, 1485 Pine Ridge Road • Starbucks, 960 Immokalee Road, 769 Fifth Avenue South and 1 Tamiami Trail S. • Moe’s Southwest Grill, all locations • Sunshine Pharmacy, all locations • Sunshine Pharmacy-Palm Medical • Sweetbay, 5926 Premier Way • The Bike Route, 655 Tamiami Trail N. • Walgreen’s, 950 Immokalee Road

For more information about volunteering, call Ms. Bidwell at 596-2030. Businesses are encouraged to contact the local Home Instead Senior Care office about adopting groups of seniors. For more information about “Be a Santa to a Senior,” visit www.beasantatoasenior.com. 