Nearly 600 local seniors waiting for Christmas wishes to be granted

LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX NEWS) — A local holiday program is asking the community to help make Christmas a little brighter for hundreds of seniors who may otherwise go without.

Home Instead's "Be a Santa to a Senior" program is back for its 23rd year, connecting people in the community with seniors who are lonely, living on low incomes or could simply use some extra support during the holiday season.

"It is a program that targets people that are lonely and low income in our community that just need a little bit of love during the holiday season," Quality Care Consultant Whitney Villasana said.

This year, nearly 600 seniors have Christmas wishes waiting to be granted. Villasana said that number has grown significantly since she first became involved with the program.

"The first few years I did it, it was 200, 300," Villasana said. "This year it is just very shy of 600."

Home Instead owner Frank Richards said the growing need comes as the country's population continues to age.

"There'll be more people over 65 or over 80 actually than there are under 18," Richards said. "So just kind of the demographics is shifting quite a lot in this country."

Participating is simple. People can visit Home Instead, choose a bulb from the Christmas tree and purchase some or all of the items listed for that senior. The gifts are then returned and placed underneath the tree.

The wishes are often modest. One senior asked for slippers, a robe and pajamas. Another requested a large-print word search.

But some requests highlight challenges that go far beyond Christmas.

Villasana recalled asking one low-income senior she knows what she needed for the holiday.

"She said, you know what I really need is toilet paper," Villasana said. "And that broke my heart."

For some of the seniors participating, the items on their Christmas lists aren't simply gifts. They're everyday necessities.

Richards said the program also gives the wider community a chance to better understand the challenges some older adults face.

"When you're able to engage the community and have them participate in understanding the needs that a lot of our seniors face, that's really something that gives you a lot of warmth inside because it's impactful right to an individual's lives," Richards said.

You can pick up bulbs and drop items off at 165 Moore Dr. Lexington, KY 40503, Monday–Friday from 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

You can also deliver the gifts with them on December 4th between 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. For the full wishlist, click here: Amazon.com

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