BLUE HILL, Maine — The wish list is pretty basic. A new nightie. Soap. A flannel shirt. Some socks.
The paper holiday ornaments hanging at three public locations on the Blue Hill Peninsula this month offer area residents an opportunity to dig just a little deeper in this season of giving. But, unlike many charitable programs, the simple gifts being requested are not for children in low-income families. They’re for needy local seniors who may be without family or friends for the holidays, whether in their own homes or in area nursing facilities.
The Be a Santa to a Senior program is organized and promoted by Home Instead Senior Care, a national company that provides private-pay, non-medical staffing to help keep frail seniors safe at home.
“This is our third year participating,” said Cheryl Sheasby, who owns the local Home Instead franchise. “This is not in any way to take away from the needs of children, but there are lots of programs for children, and needy seniors tend to get left out.”
For the past few weeks, Sheasby has been compiling gift requests from concerned individuals and area agencies that serve low-income seniors. Some requests come from nursing homes, assisted living facilities or affordable housing projects. Others come from home nursing agencies, medical offices, law enforcement and other sources.
“And some are from local individuals who just know someone living alone who needs a little help,” she said.
Each request must include the name, gender and age of the recipient as well as at least one specific gift request.
Sheasby transfers the information, minus the recipient’s name, onto a paper ornament provided by Home Instead — “Male, 78. Elastic-waist pajama bottoms, size L”; “Female, 80. XL gloves”; “Female, 67. Diabetic treats. Fancy soap.”
Ornaments are distributed to one of the three holiday tree locations in the area — the Tradewinds food market in Blue Hill, the Camden National Bank branch in Blue Hill or the Burnt Cove Market in Stonington. Shoppers feeling the holiday spirit select an ornament, purchase the gifts and return them, wrapped and with the ornament attached for identification, to the business where they picked up the ornament. Sheasby and her staff ensure the right gift gets to the right recipient, a delivery that includes a much-needed social visit as well.
“They really appreciate that visit,” she said. “A lot of people, whether they live alone or in a facility, don’t get many visitors.”
“Last year, we delivered more than 135 gifts,” Sheasby said.
This year, requests are coming in more slowly.
“It’s a little weird we’re not getting as many requests,” she said.
But Sheasby said she feels confident the calls will come rolling in right up through Christmas and beyond. Her main focus is on the residents of the Blue HIll Peninsula, but Santa has delivered gifts to needy seniors as far away as Brewer.
Some requests reveal more about the recipients’ needs and interests — a bird feeder, a model car kit, a book of word puzzles, a baby doll.
At the Tradewinds market, store manager Bonnie Tokas said her customers look for the familiar holiday tree each December and are quick to select ornaments as they get posted. Staff, too, are eager to support the program.
“People are very genuine about wanting to help,” she said.
Tokas herself just bought and wrapped the baby doll.
Home Instead also has sites in Gorham and Kennebunk. The Gorham site participates in Be a Santa to a Senior, with holiday trees and ornaments in seven locations to serve the Portland area. The Kennebunk office does not participate, said site manager Howard Schultz, since there are many other programs serving low-income seniors in the area.
To learn more about the program, request a gift for a needy senior or make a donation, visit BeaSantatoaSenior.com or call Sheasby at 404-2529.
