Be a Santa, help a senior

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This article was published 18/11/2020 (1963 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Some older adults in Winnipeg will endure severe isolation and loneliness this Christmas under pandemic restrictions.

Home Instead, a private home care company, hopes to alleviate loneliness for 6,000 Manitobans this holiday season through its annual “Be a Santa for a Senior” program.

The online website provides a platform for donors to choose a specialized gift for an older adult in need in the province.

“Seniors are our most isolated population right now… this program really allows us to just bring a little bit of joy during this time,” says Julie Donaldson, owner of Winnipeg’s Home Instead.

In past years, participants would have their name written on a bulb and placed on Christmas trees at various locations across Winnipeg. This year, the program needed to go contactless due to the pandemic.

The company, which has delivered Christmas gifts for 13 years, has teamed up with Amazon to create an online delivery system. The website recorded more than 500 orders.

Maddy Murray, 23, learned about the program from Instagram and donated an Elvis Presley record to a participant named Teresa from Ashern.

“I wanted to make someone feel better this holiday,” said Murray. “It’s a great way to let them know, even if it’s a complete stranger, that we’re thinking about them and we care.”

Home Instead has faced some glitches while transitioning its services online. Donaldson says a staff member stayed up until 4 a.m. to tackle a system glitch last Friday.

“We’re learning lots of new things and doing our best. We hope everyone will continue to support the program and be patient with us,” said Donaldson. “The nice thing about Amazon is that people can do it safely from their home.”

Donaldson says because of the recent focus to buy local, they may see negative comments about partnering with Amazon, but they’ve done their best to ensure gifts are from Canadian vendors.

She says with the high volume of gifts, partnering with Amazon was the only way to make sure seniors received the gifts in a timely and safe way.

“We recognize the importance of supporting local… in the future programs to come, we can see how we can adapt and make it as local as possible.”

Donors who use the ‘Santa for a Senior’ website can choose to add a personalized message or have the gift wrapped for the recipient.

Home Instead hopes to have all 6,000-plus orders filled by Dec. 15 in time to deliver the gifts for Christmas Day, and will include deliveries to Winnipeg hospitals.