Necessities top Senior Santas wishlists

PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — Necessities like shampoo and deodorant top the holiday wishlists of many homebound seniors.

Christine Gilpen has been granting wishes as a Silver Santas volunteer for two years. Created by the nonprofit, Better Living for Seniors, Silver Santas relies on donations and volunteers like Gilpen to create custom gift bags. They’re delivered to assisted living facilities and distributed to low-income elderly people who are isolated.

“I couldn’t imagine growing old and not having someone, it just breaks my heart,” said Gilpen. “So I love doing this, I think it’s really important, I think more of our community members should get involved.”

More involvement this season is helping a growing need.

“The need increases, that’s really the biggest difference is that the need unfortunately doesn’t seem to decrease,” said Bob Dorian, Committee Chair for Silver Santas.

That need is for necessities. 

“More and more seniors were asking for basic supplies,” said Ann Marie Winter, Executive Director of Area Agency on Aging of Pasco-Pinellas, which is affiliated with Better Living for Seniors.

A special delivery to the Silver Santas warehouse in Clearwater recently supplied some of those basics.

“We’ve got toothpaste, deodorant,” showed Winter as she explained how the donation is helping with demand.

“We are so fortunate that we received a grant from the Pinellas Community Foundation to buy $6,000 worth of toiletry items for homebound seniors who don’t have them.”

“We’ll be able to service another 200 seniors because of that grant,” said Dorian.

Clothing is also added to those toiletry bags.

“This is the least that we can do, we have to take care of those who have taken care of us our entire lives,” said Winter.

And volunteers are taking good care checking off wishlists not filled with fancy requests but the bare essentials.

“When they ask for them, I’m so happy to fill them because they are getting what they need through us,” said Gilpen.