Program aims to offer better Christmas for elderly in area

Christmas trees. A common reaction to the mention of Christmas trees in early November usually evokes the thought, "We haven't even gotten to Thanksgiving and you want to talk about Christmas trees?"

But the next time you see a tree with ornaments on it while you're out shopping, stop and take a look, because it might be a tree set up by Alicia Shelton, recruiting and retention coordinator at Home Instead Senior Care, for the "Be a Santa to a Senior" program occurring through Dec. 8.

Now in its fifth season, the program provides homebound residents in the community with gifts geared toward their personal needs during the holiday season.

"These are mostly homebound seniors who are lower-income adults who would truly benefit from a plethora of gifts," said Sarah McKinney of Home Delivered Meals at the Athens Community Council on Aging.

"The area is saturated with gift programs for children, which of course is what Christmas is about. But there are older adults by the hundreds in this area who are going to go without children (this holiday season). I think we put a lot of focus on children because Christmas is about kids, but Christmas is also about family and those people who administered love and care and Christmas to us for years and years. It's just a great way to reach back out to them."

Home Instead Senior Care administers the program to Clarke County and the surrounding area while the Athens Community Council on Aging works to collect names and information of seniors in need and helps disseminate the program. But they don't work alone.

All of the programs at the Council on Aging, along with Athens Regional Medical Center, Walmart and the University of Georgia Institute of Gerontology also participate. "We target different agencies that are excited and willi