Spreading Holiday Cheer How Home Instead Senior Care Plays Santa to seniors across Canada By Alicia Saunders he holiday season is about spending time with loved ones ‘nd gift giving, but many Cana- dian seniors spend this time of year alone, and one in four Canadian seniors that lives alone, lives in poverty (Statistics Canada). Home Instead Senior Care is working to make the holiday season brighter for these isolated seniors with its Be a Santa to a Senior program. The program started in 2003, when aU.S.-based franchisee noticed the need for a gift-giving program for seniors. “There was nothing for older people. So this was really a grassroots movement started by our franchisees,” says Rod Roberts, Business Performance Director for Home Instead Senior Care. Since then, franchisees have adopted the program wholeheart. edly, finding volunteers to help with their local efforts. Since 2003, more than 60,000 Be a Santa to a Senior volunteers have helped to buy, wrap, and deliver gifts to seniors in need. ‘The program is run by each frane chisee in thelr own community. The franchise works with local groups to identify isolated seniors in need, and these seniors make a lst of two to four aifts that they would like to recelve. A Christmas tree is then placed in the community, often in an office building or a retail store, and decorated with ‘ormaments on which the gift ideas are vritten. People are encouraged to pick ‘an ornament, buy the gift, and leave it under the tree unwrapped. The local Home Instead franchisee and their volunteers then pick up these gifts, before wrapping and delivering them to the community programs or to the seniors directly. Across all ofits locations, both int Canada and the United States, Home Instead Senior Care has delivered 1.2 million gifts to more than 700 thou- sand seniors in need. In April 2016, Home Instead Senior Care was rec. ognized by the Canadian Franchise Association, winning an Outstanding Corporate Citizen Award for the Bea Santa to a Senior initiative. Bruce Mahony, a Toronto-based franchisee, says he finds that the Be a Santa to a Senior approach can di fer depending on the area it serves, In the east end of the city, he part- ners with retailers who put up trees and encourage their customers to buy gifts. In central Toronto, he benefits from commercial sponsors, which include notforprofit hospi tals, professional firms, and other big businesses. Here he finds that many office workers can’t volunteer thelr time, so instead they make sure to buy gifts to support the program, “Within the offices, a lot of people are working hard and don't have a Jot of time to volunteer, But they feel good at Christmas purchasing gifts for seniors in need,” says Mahony. Home leiead Senor Cares Tororo franchise ounors share amomant uit Santa The types of gifts that seniors ask for can vary. Sometimes it can be something as simple as a hat, scart or pair of mitts so they can go out- side for a walk. “They're little things, but to them it makes a big differ- cence,” says Roberts. Mahony often has to hire on addi- tional staff to help during what he says Is already his busiest time of the year. Some of his clients even Participate in the program, either buying gifts or helping to wrap gilts at wrap parties. For his team, it can mean work: Ing long hours to ensure everything is finished on time, Sometimes, Mahony ends up working well into the holidays; he's even gone out on Christmas Day with is family to personally deliver gifts. Every year, he says, the program seems to keep expanding. *Each year it grows a tte bit. Its kind of taken on a life of its own.” Roberts encourages people to get involved, whether it's by vol unteering to wrap presents, or by picking up a gift. It doesn't matter at what point in the process some- one helps, their contribution is always appreciated. “Anyone can be a Santa," he says. Mahony says that he feels it’s his responsibility to give back to the community, “If you're commercially successful, you need to be putting something back into the system.” Although the 16-hour days around the holidays can be gruelling for Mahony and his staff, he says he Wouldn't have it any other way, “It’s ‘worthwhile when you see their faces light up. You just go the distance to make it happen.” FranchiseCanada November | Oscember 2018 137