Missoula Business Will Hand Deliver 600 Presents To Senior Citizens This Week

For the past six years, Home Instead Senior Care has put on the ‘Be a Santa to a Senior’ program in Missoula. People in the community nominate senior citizens to receive a special anonymous gift during the holiday season. Owner Dave Krueger says they collect all the donated gifts from Southgate Mall and then hand deliver them.

“We bring them back to our office and we put them in bags that are decorated by local fourth grade Hellgate Elementary School kids,” said Krueger. “Then on this Thursday and Friday, I will dress as Santa, my wife and son will dress as Santa’s elves, we will rent a huge U-Haul truck and we will hand deliver almost 600 presents to 100 seniors this year.”

According to Krueger, this program is a great way to give back to the community.

“98 percent of the people we deliver to are not our clients,” Krueger said. “It is just a way for us to be able to touch more of the senior community and spread a little Christmas cheer during a time when many of them may not have the financial means or the loved ones visiting them. They love seeing the little 10-year-old dressed as an elf and they love getting the gift. It just puts a smile on their face.”

Last year, Krueger says they filled up the biggest U-Haul you can get, two times from front to back, and he expects the same this year.