Be A Santa To A Senior, which delivers gifts and visits around 12-hundred seniors in long term care facilities just before Christmas has lowered its funding goal after falling short of last year’s $50-thousand goal by about 50 per cent. The charity is sponsored by Home Instead Senior Care and organizer Greg Charyna believes the shortfall was because in the past, they had asked for donations of gifts for seniors and people like to do something concrete, but they have found that buying appropriate gifts for seniors and being able to do it in bulk is more fiscally responsible and effective. He hopes that people will instead opt to visit a senior during one of their 4 delivery days leading up to Christmas, because he expects that’s the biggest part of the gift for seniors, spending time and visiting one-on-one. Last year, about 450 people volunteered their time. Charyna says for some it’s a chance to give back, for others it’s in remembrance of a loved one who has passed and for others, it’s an opportunity to help the younger generation learn about the true spirit of Christmas. This year’s Be A Santa To A Senior go fund me page is up and running already, to get those funds together in time to be able to purchase the gifts. This year’s fundraising goal is $35-thousand.

Link to Go Fund Me page: https://www.gofundme.com/f/saskatoon-be-a-santa-2019