Annual Be a Santa to a Senior program begins

Each year, Home Instead Senior Care sponsors the Be a Santa to a Senior program, which aims to provide Christmas gifts for seniors who are isolated, lonely or financially challenged.

Home Instead collects names of local seniors from nonprofits such as Comal County Meals on Wheels, Comal County Senior Center and Westside Community Center as well as low-income nursing homes and senior apartments. This year, over 460 names have been submitted to the program.

The first name of each senior and several gift ideas are written on a Christmas tree ornament and hung on Christmas trees at participating businesses and local offices where citizens can choose an ornament and purchase the suggested gifts.

Beginning Nov. 19, ornaments will be available at Das Rec, Frost Bank, New Braunfels City Hall, New Braunfels Public Library, Tye Preston Memorial Library in Canyon Lake, Stamps Chiropractic, Rudy’s Bar-B-Que, Home Instead Senior Care and at the Festival of Trees.

Once the gifts have been purchased, they are to be returned to collection boxes at the same locations as the Christmas trees by Dec. 9. Participants may also donate additional gifts to be given to those seniors whose names were not claimed, such as blankets, cookies or puzzles.

A gift-wrapping party will be held Dec. 11 at 5 p.m. at 790 Landa St., New Braunfels, to prepare the gifts for delivery the following day.

For more information, visit www.beasantatoasenior.com.