Seniors' Economic Struggles Continue This Holiday; Santa Program Provides Assistance

Seniors' Economic Struggles Continue This Holiday; Santa Program Provides Assistance

Be a Santa to a Senior®, the popular campaign that has delivered 1.5 million gifts to needy seniors throughout North America during the past seven years, again is helping older adults cope in tough economic times.

The area office of the Home Instead Senior Care® network, the world's largest provider of non-medical in-home care and companionship services for older adults, has partnered with Providence St. Joseph Medical Center, Joslyn Adult Center Burbank, Glendale Senior Services, Partners in Care, Glendale Salvation Army, Burbank Vintage Senior Living and Burbank Town Center Mall, Belmont Village of Burbank, Curves Burbank (East), Curves Burbank (West), Curves Glendale, Curves Montrose, Burbank YMCA, Crescenta-Canada YMCA, Michelle Bouse's Beauty Boutique, and Williams Chiropractic to provide gifts and companionship to seniors who otherwise might not receive either this holiday season.

"Many older adults continue to struggle in a down economy, particularly those who live alone with no family nearby to help provide resources," said Gary Reid, owner of the Home Instead Senior Care office serving Burbank, Glendale, and Toluca Lake. Seniors have faced a trying year amid the threat of Social Security payment delays as part of the debt-ceiling debate. What's more, seniors have lost almost one-third (32 percent) of their buying power since 2000, according to the Annual Survey of Senior Costs from The Senior Citizens League (TSCL).

That's where Be a Santa to a Senior can help. Before the holiday season, the participating local nonprofit organizations will identify needy and isolated seniors and provide those names to the local Home Instead Senior Care office. Christmas trees, which will go up in (see tree locations below) on November 15 through December 14 will feature ornaments with the first names only of the seniors and their gift requests.

Holiday shoppers can pick up an ornament, buy items on the list and return them unwrapped to the store, along with the ornament attached. "We hope holiday shoppers will open their hearts to those seniors who have given so much to make our community a better place," Reid said.

For more information about the program, visit www.beasantatoasenior.com.

Tree Locations:

Burbank Town Center Mall
201 East Magnolia
Burbank, CA

Belmont Village of Burbank
455 E. Angeleno Ave.
Burbank, CA 91501

Curves Burbank (West)

940 W. Alameda Ave.
Burbank, CA

Curves Glendale
1010 Glendale Ave. #003
Glendale, CA

Michelle Bouse's Beauty Boutique
4110 W. Riverside Dr.
Burbank, CA

Williams Chiropractic
2811 W. Olive Ave.
Burbank, CA

YMCA Burbank
321 East Magnolia Blvd.
Burbank, CA

YMCA Crescenta-Canada
1930 Foothill Blvd.
Glendale, CA