AUSTIN, Texas — In this season of giving, don't forget about our seniors.
Thanks to a special program in Central Texas, you can make sure they have a Christmas to remember.
Some seniors are in nursing homes and others may not have family in town. That's why an in-home care agency, Home Instead Senior Care, has a holiday program called Be a Santa to a Senior.
How It Works
You can go to Walmarts in Pflugerville, Round Rock and Georgetown, pick up a tag hanging on the Christmas trees, then buy the items you see on a senior's wish list. After that, give them back to customer service.
KVUE stopped by one of the receiving agencies called Age of Central Texas, an adult day care center, and seniors there said they're just grateful they're thought about.
“We feel loved,” said Cynthia Thomas, a senior. “We feel like we're being thought about. We don't feel like we're being thrown out in the street or anything like that. We feel like we're needed."
The wish list items range from blankets to slippers and once they're purchased, students from area elementary schools hand decorate the bags to give them that special touch.
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“We see a lot of times it’s not so much the gift, believe it or not, it's the bags that are decorated by the students that have brought many folks to tears, being able to see the personal touch," said Tyson Murphy with Home Instead Senior Care. "I think it brings that spirit and that warmth.”
More than 1,000 seniors in our area are expected to receive gifts this year through the program, and there's still time left to give. The gifts will be ready to hand off to the seniors Friday, Dec. 20.
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