‘Be a Santa to a Senior’ gives present to needy

Schools

Discussion

November 29, 2009

By BURTON SPEAKMAN The Glasgow Daily Times Sun Nov 29, 2009, 09:53 AM CST

GLASGOW — Members of the public will be able to select a name from the local holiday trees to be able to purchase a gift for a needy senior through the Be a Santa to a Senior program.

A lot of people think about children at Christmas, but as a company that works specifically with seniors the goal was to create a program that works with seniors who might not otherwise have a Christmas, said Brad Cannon, owner of Home Instead Senior Care.

In Barren County the tree was placed on Nov. 18 at Walgreens. The tree that was placed in the store contains the first name of an area senior and the gift they would like to receive.

“We’ve already received names for several seniors in Barren County,” Cannon said. “This program will have a direct impact on Barren County.

Once someone purchases the gift, they are to take the ornament and the gift, unwrapped, back to the location where they picked up the ornament.

“Hopefully they’ll also shop at the store in which they picked up the ornaments,” Cannon said.

This is the third year the senior tree has been located at Walgreens in Glasgow, said Amber Cannon, who is coordinating tree placement.

There are a total of six locations throughout south central Kentucky where someone can pick a name off a tree and become involved in the program.

The “Be a Santa to a Senior” program delivered more than 1,000 gifts to more than 700 needy seniors in the area. Home Instead Senior Care teams with the Barren River Area Development District, housing authority, area nursing homes and the Salvation Army along with Walgreens, Kmart, Walmart, Dollar General, Chick-fil-a and Greenview Hospital to provide presents and visits for seniors who could otherwise be overlooked at along this holiday season.

“The hope for this year is to have at least that many people participate,” Brad Cannon said. “We try to keep the prices of the gifts around $10 to $15 so as many people as possible can participate.”

There are other ways in which individuals can help. All the presents will be wrapped on Dec. 17 in Bowling Green, he said.

“I understand that some people in Barren County might not want to drive that far, but the best way that people can help is to donate a senior,” Brad Cannon said.

There have been some groups that have adopted a large number of seniors, he said. In the past a preschool bought presents for 50 seniors. They picked “Be a Santa to a Senior” as school’s project and the children and their parents really got behind the effort.

According the “Be A Santa” Web site the program started with a visit.

In 2006, “Be a Santa to a Senior” volunteers visited a local nursing facility and distributed gifts to a number of residents, including one 87-year-old woman whom they called Mary. She was pleased to receive her gift and thanked us profusely, but it wasn't until we returned to give Mary another gift in 2007 that volunteers recognized the true value of “Be a Santa to a Senior.”

When the group entered Mary's room for a second visit, it was noticed that the only card on her bulletin board was the “Be a Santa to a Senior” card from the previous year. As the volunteers spoke with her caregivers it was learned that the “Be a Santa” Christmas card and gift were the only items she had received throughout the year. Mary re-read the card regularly to help keep that memory alive, according to the site.

Groups looking to sponsor a larger number of seniors can contact Home Instead Senior Care at (270) 842-7550. Those just wishing to adopt one or two seniors can pick up an ornament at Walgreens in Glasgow. For additional information about the program go online to http://www. beasantatoasenior.com.

Text Only

Schools

Lego Leaguers build talents
Students from schools in the Glasgow district proved they can have fun while learning and competing.

December 15, 2011 1 Photo
‘Project Elfinator’ to buy gifts for seniors
Colin and Cameron Campbell have a big task ahead of them this week.

December 14, 2011 1 Photo
Schedule for 2012-13 year approved
The Glasgow Board of Education had a full agenda Monday night during its regular monthly meeting, including saying good-bye to the district’s successful high school football coach.

December 13, 2011 1 Photo
Pedigo sworn as new board member
The Barren County School Board now has a female majority following the swearing in of new board member Michelle Pedigo at the beginning of Thursday night’s regular board meeting.

December 9, 2011 1 Photo
District extends testing to improve performance
One area school district is working to improve student career and college readiness results by increasing the number of opportunities students have to take certain tests that measure their progress toward those readiness benchmarks.

November 30, 2011
BCHS launches college application week
Barren County High School had 125 seniors, from the “GEAR UP Class of 2012,” fill out 263 college applications in one day recently.

November 30, 2011
School musicians recognized for ability
Young musicians from the area can be proud of their performances after a large majority of them returned home with honors from a recent competition.

November 26, 2011
Award tells story of success
A Barren County school was named as a top 10 recipient of a new state educational award last week that used criteria such as student achievement, school safety, leadership within the building and staff working conditions in the selection process.

November 18, 2011
GHS has roof over head
The majority of new construction at Glasgow High School is now under roof with only the kitchen and cafeteria areas remaining to be covered.

November 16, 2011 1 Photo
AFTERNOON UPDATE: GMS starts sneaker recycling program at Friday's game
he Glasgow Middle School Green Team is hosting a sneaker recycling drive.

November 10, 2011
More Schools Headlines

Schools

Search Results

Discussion

‘Be a Santa to a Senior’ gives present to needy

Site Map