Santa stops by with gifts to several nursing homes in Waterloo Region
A program run by Region of Waterloo paramedics is bringing Christmas joy to seniors in the area.
Santa and the "Ambu-Sleigh" brough personalized presents to 180 seniors at local nursing homes Thursday.
During the course of the Santa to Seniors Program, paramedics volunteer their time, find out what seniors want for Christmas collect donations, wrap the gifts, and help bring them to the homes.
"Especially at Christmas time, I think there's a sense of loneliness when they don't have that family visiting," said organizer Annette Jang. "We want to give them a little extra care and attention and get gifts that are meaningful to them. We come with our Santa and we just want to let them know that people are thinking about them."
Jang adds that the program has grown significantly over the last 13 years and has been picked up by other paramedic groups outside the region.
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