By John McCann
jmccann@heraldsun.com; 419-6601
DURHAM -- The last time you saw an old person on Santa's lap was when?
Exactly.
But seasoned citizens want to enjoy Christmas just like everybody else. It's just that they don't always have somebody with whom to share the holiday.
Many seniors don't have nearby family members, said David Logan, the office manager and program coordinator for Meals on Wheels of Durham.
And, unfortunately, that makes Christmas a lonely time for some seniors.
Yet here comes Senior Santa, here comes Senior Santa, a Meals on Wheels program that works like this: Sack up some socks and gloves and hats and pajamas and long underwear and other warm things and get them to Meals on Wheels by Dec. 18. That's it.
Well, maybe you want to throw in some stationery and postage stamps, umbrellas, supermarket gift cards, things like that. Or perhaps you know just the gift that would really make a senior smile. Call (919) 667-9424 and run your idea by somebody at Meals on Wheels. Chances are it'll be just fine, because the main thing here is to let the older crowd know they're thought of as much as the youth this Yuletide.
Durham senior citizen Clydie Pugh-Myers is fortunate to have folks like the Bull City's Anne Daye doing nice things for her throughout the year. Yet there is a host of older folks not as blessed.
"Some people don't get anything," said Pugh-Myers, who used to get assistance from Meals on Wheels.
At 81 years old, Pugh-Myers has seen a whole lot of life. So Christmas for her isn't so much about getting stuff as it is about her being at the fore of somebody's mind.
"It's just a matter of somebody saying, 'Hello'," Pugh-Myers said. "When you get this age, folks are not thinking about you."
But here comes Senior Santa, here comes Senior Santa, endeavoring to make Christmas merrier for a precious population.
"We try to give them a little something for Christmas," Logan said.
Meals on Wheels throughout the year serves roughly 300 clients, Logan said. They are elderly and mostly women, and some are homebound, he said.
Gail Souare is the executive director for the Council for Senior Citizens in Durham. Her organization for Christmas is planning to collect some personal-care items for seniors. She said she has in mind things people need, basic items such as shampoo, the sort of stuff some older people on limited incomes can't always afford.
But Souare also said fruit baskets are being considered. She doesn't count those as necessities, just something nice for seniors.
Which strikes a balance between purely need-based gifts and luxuries, Souare explained.
"I think there's a lot of need out there, but a lot is just to be thought of," she said.
That gets at the spirit behind Senior Santa. Meals on Wheels feeds people throughout the year. That meets a need. It's about filling bellies.
But folks here at Christmastime donating used or maybe even new sweaters and bath robes and blankets and whatnot doesn't just warm old people's bodies but their hearts and souls, as well.
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SENIOR SANTA
You can help spread Christmas cheer to senior citizens by donating new or used items such as socks and pajamas to the Senior Santa program, an offshoot of Meals on Wheels of Durham. Drop off donations at 2522 Ross Road by Dec. 18. Senior Santa helpers will wrap the gifts and distribute them. But feel free to put your own pretty paper on the gifts, just be sure to indicate what's underneath the wrapping.
For more information, call (919) 667-9424. Seniors who'd like their names on the Senior Santa list can call that number, too.
