"Be a Santa to a Senior" Aids Texoma Elderly In Need - KTEN.com - No One Gets You Closer

"Be a Santa to a Senior" Aids Texoma Elderly In Need

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By Erin Jones, Reporter - email

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SHERMAN, TX--- Karen Murphy is just one of many Texomans participating in this year's "Be a
Santa to a Senior". She says she heard about it through her work, which is one of the program's sponsors.

"We want to give back to the community and help others that are less fortunate," Murphy said.

For seven years Texoma's Home Instead has partnered with local organizations to bring holiday cheer to hundreds of elderly people in need.

"We wanted to participate because we like to help the senior citizens around the community so they can feel appreciated," Karyssa Lott said.  

The program works by writing senior's names and their Christmas wish lists on ornaments and then placing them on giving trees. This year, three businesses have trees up. Holiday shoppers can pick up an ornament and purchase some, or all, of the gifts on the wish lists.

"They are pretty basic gifts. They're things like slippers, maybe a new sweater and toiletries type items. They buy the gift and leave it at the retail store unwrapped," Home Instead Franchise Owner Tim Dungan said.

So far, the program has donated over 1.2 million gifts to more than 700,000 seniors nationwide. 

"The seniors are always overwhelmed. These are very basic gifts, but they're just taken back that people recognize them," Dungan said.

After all the presents are received, Home Instead will wrap the gifts at their annual wrapping party. This party will be on December 10th and volunteers are still needed. The presents will be delivered to the seniors December 14th.

The three Texoma locations with giving trees are:

Nautilus Sports and Fitness Centers
2114 Texoma Parkway
Sherman, TX 75090
Phone: (903) 892-4140
URL: http://www.texomafit.com

Belk
3606 Town Center
Sherman, TX 75092
Phone: (903) 893-7051
URL: http://www.belk.com/home.jsp
Hours: 10am-9pm - varies by day

Landmark Bank
720 E. Peyton St.
Sherman, TX 75090
Phone: (903) 892-1800
URL: http://www.landmarkbank.com
Hours: 9am-4pm

For more information on "Be a Santa to a Senior" click here.