Lincoln business lets you ‘Be a Santa to a Senior’ this Christmas

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — The 19th annual Be a Santa to a Senior initiative is happening in Lincoln.

Local business Home Instead is spreading holiday cheer to Lincoln seniors during a time when some can find themselves filled with loneliness and despair.

Business development coordinator Kirby Howerter said the program is a way to extend a hand to seniors who don’t have family and friends.

“We just want to connect people and help them know that they’re cared for,” she said.

Here’s how it works: Participants can visit any Hy-Vee and grab a tag off the Christmas tree, buy the gift listed and return the gift to the market and place it under the tree. There’s no need to wrap it; it will be wrapped by volunteers. Each gift will be delivered directly to the senior who requested it before Dec. 25.

While the holidays are a joyous time for most, Howerter said they can be challenging for lonely seniors.

“Through COVID and after, isolation can really take a toll on the aging adults’ mental health,” she said. “And that isolation is something that we’ve really tried to bridge the gap with and just let them know that there are people who want to help them and there are people who want to be there for them.”

Erin Fiend, a therapist at CHI Health, said there can often be a deterioration in mental health during the holiday season for seniors and others.

“A lot more depression symptoms coming in, even some anxiety around people not being able to get out as much as they use to,” she said. “I actually work in our psychiatric crisis clinic, and we are seeing a lot more.”

This year the Be a Santa to a Senior program is working with nine other local nonprofits, including Meals on Wheels and Aging Partners. They hope to collect 1,200 gifts for around 600 seniors.

We’ve all heard the old adage that giving is better than receiving, and Howerter said the reactions from local seniors prove it.

“Last year, I think people were just so thankful, and you could just see the smile on someone’s face and know that you were kind of making a difference in their life and their holiday season,” she said. “We get cards all the time from people thanking us.”

You have until Dec. 1 to grab an ornament from a Hy-Vee tree and get a gift for a senior. Participating Hy-Vee markets are located at 6001 Village Dr. and 1601 N. 84th St.