How to be a Santa to a senior this holiday season

The “Be a Santa to a Senior” campaign is back for another holiday season this year, giving gifts to seniors in need.

Paper bulbs, which contain a senior’s name and what they want for a present, are placed on Christmas trees in long-term care homes.

Home Instead has been running the program for 16 years.

Brittany Keough, with Home Instead in Halifax, says 22,000 gifts have been delivered to seniors in the community over the years.

“Community members can come in to The Berkeley locations or the Home Instead office -- that’s on Spring Garden Road -- to pick up a bulb and purchase a gift and bring it back, unwrapped, to us and that’s how that works,” she said.

Seniors often ask for simple things, such as snacks, slippers and puzzles.

Keough says there’s no limit on how many seniors people can shop for -- they can take as many bulbs as they like.

The program is also an ongoing tradition at The Berkeley, a retirement community with four locations in the Halifax area.

Catherine Campbell, The Berkeley’s director of communications, says it’s a great way for their seniors to give back to other seniors in the community.

“We also want to give our seniors an opportunity to give back to people who live in the community and who might not have others in their lives that would give them something – or they might have needs that aren’t being met,” said Campbell.

This year, The Berkeley residents will also help with gift-wrapping efforts during a wrapping party on Dec. 13.

More information on the “Be a Santa to a Senior” program can be found online.

People can also call the Home Instead Halifax office at 902-429-2273 with any questions.

Gifts can be dropped off at the four Berkeley locations:

• The Berkeley Gladstone -- 2633 Gladstone Street
• The Berkeley Halifax -- 5266 Green Street
• The Berkeley Dartmouth -- 35 Eisener Boulevard
• The Berkeley Bedford -- 2 Convoy Run

The deadline to drop off gifts is Dec. 8.