ORANGE PARK – At a time when it may be more important than ever, Home Instead’s seasonal favorite “Be A Santa to a Senior” returns stronger than ever with new options for community participation.

Program coordinators evaluated the important holiday program and made adjustments with the safety of donors, seniors and volunteers in mind. With seniors in northeast Florida more isolated than ever because of concerns due to the virus, this year, for the first time in the program’s 17-year history, along with traditional trees with gift-request ornaments, Home Instead is teaming up with Amazon Business, to create a contactless gift-giving experience for volunteers and recipients. The new Amazon Business collaboration will provide the same holiday cheer to local seniors while also prioritizing the safety and wellness of all who are involved.

“The Be a Santa to a Senior program brings so much joy to seniors in our community,” said Betsy Miller, owner of the Home Instead office serving north and west Jacksonville and Clay County. “We’ve all felt isolated at some point during the pandemic, but seniors are especially at risk of feeling isolated and a simple gift can show them that we are thinking of them. And that’s more important this year than ever.”

Be a Santa to a Senior relies on the generous support of the local community and volunteers, as well as area businesses, nonprofit organizations and retailers.

It’s easy to help. Members of the community can visit the Be a Santa to a Senior tree on display at Whitey’s Fish Camp, 2032 County Road 220, Fleming Island. The tree will be up from Nov. 30 to Dec. 11 and be decorated with ornaments featuring seniors’ first names and gift suggestions. Holiday shoppers can choose an ornament, buy the requested gift and return it unwrapped with the ornament attached to Whitey’s.

Shoppers can also visit BeASantatoaSenior.com and enter their zip code to view Wish Lists for local seniors in the area which are available on Amazon Business through December 11. A personalized greeting can be included with the gift which will be safely delivered to the senior.

“We need the community’s help more than ever to make sure our seniors feel connected this year,” said Miller. “With all that’s happened this year, we knew we had to find a way to reach those seniors with some holiday cheer, and we are grateful for the community’s support.”

Since the program’s creation in 2003, Be a Santa to a Senior has provided approximately 2.1 million gifts and brightened the season for more than 750,000 deserving seniors nationwide. With adjustments, Home Instead will be able to continue the annual gift-giving program while following social distancing and safety precautions during COVID-19.

For more information about the program, visit BeaSantatoaSenior.com or call (904) 215-8520.

For ideas and inspiration around helping seniors in your community, visit ReadytoCare.com.