Being a Santa to a Halton senior

(Updated)

Some lucky seniors in Burlington got an early visit from Santa Thursday. The “Be a Santa to a Senior” program landed at Wellington Park Care Centre delivering Christmas cheer to isolated or ill residents.

“Wow! It’s so pretty.”

84-year old Donna Lewicki is all smiles as she opens her Christmas gift from the Be a Santa to a Senior initiative: “It’s my first gift so I’ll remember it for sure.”

Scott Johnson wants every senior to get a gift they will remember. So he started the Be a Santa to a Senior program nine years ago. They’ve delivered more than 7,000 gifts since then to deserving or isolated people living in long term care.

Johnson: “People always want to share time together at Christmas time and if there’s no one for them to share it with we’d like them to share it with us.”

64-year old David Bonham couldn’t wait to try on his new hat and scarf. But he tips his hat to the staff at Wellington Park Care Centre for bringing a touch of Christmas cheer to the residents: “The entertainment is great here, there’s no place like this.”

Thanks to Home Instead, about 100 residents here will receive one of these on Christmas morning. But that same scenario will be played out at other homes in 83 different cities all across the country. ”

Johnson: “We ask the seniors what they would like for Christmas. We work with Walmart and other organizations and they take these gift requests and they go out and buy the gifts for them.”

And the staff at the facility prepare and deliver them.

Charlotte Nevills, Administrator, Wellington Park: “It’s very emotional. A lot of the managers and the staff get very choked up watching our residents these are our families.”

Making for a very merry Christmas all around.