It’s supposed to be the most wonderful time of year, but for some, the holidays mean seclusion and loneliness.
One local organization is looking to change that.
Thanks to 400 volunteers and 850 gifts, it’s a busy week for the Be a Santa to a Senior program.
The organization is working with 11 care homes to spread holiday cheer to seniors across Saskatoon.
Home Instead Senior Care owner Greg Charyna said this is an important act of kindness.
“Everyone’s hearts are full, what happens is people receive that gift of time, they get to have a really good visit and tell their story,” Charyna said.
One 96-year-old resident, Nick Blocka, is a prime example as he was able to talk about memories of Christmas in years gone by.
“You would travel from one house to the other with five or six of us and in a sleigh because of a lot of snow and we would carol and we would go house to house,” Blocka recalled.
The initiative started ten years ago and has since helped more than 2,000 people in the Saskatoon area.
Not only does the program touch staff and seniors, but the volunteers as well.
For some, a little gift and visit are all that’s needed to make a big difference during Christmas.