Santa Claus made an early stop this Christmas season to spread some cheer to his fellow senior adults.

He joined staff and volunteers from Home Instead Senior Care as they distributed gifts collected through the group’s “Be a Santa to a Senior” program.

Sarah Chambers, community service representative for Home Instead, said that the Lexington office brought gifts to seniors in two area facilities, including LibertyWood Nursing Center in Thomasville on Monday.

“It was incredible,” Chambers said. “It was a wonderful, touching day to see all of the seniors have such a nice Christmas.”

She said that Home Instead, a provider of non-medical home care and companionship for older adults, holds the “Be a Santa to a Senior” program every year in its offices nationwide. The Lexington office covers both Davie and Davidson counties, and it decided to focus on different facilities that were financially challenged or low-income, and on seniors that did not have many people — or any at all — visiting for the holidays.

“We actually spread the word and let folks know that we had trees out in the area with ornaments attached,” Chambers said. “The ornaments had a senior’s first name and the wish list items they had asked for — pretty much personal care items, like shampoo, conditioner, powder, socks, tissues and throw blankets.”

Nearly 200 names were placed on the trees at participating businesses and organizations, including Chelsea’s Manor, Suntrust Bank and Newbridge Bank. Shoppers picked up the ornaments, bought the items on the list, and returned them in gift bags with the corresponding ornaments attached. Chambers said that next year, the group will aim to help even more people.

“Everybody cooperated, and we were able to buy for every single senior,” Chambers said. “We had some monetary donations, and we were able to get some extra items for the seniors as well.”

About five or six people from the Home Instead Senior Care office visited LibertyWood Nursing Home on Monday to deliver the gifts. If certain residents could not come out of their rooms to the common area, the gifts were delivered directly to them.

“Santa Claus was there, and they were each given more than one item,” Chambers said. “We had music playing on the piano or just from the radio, and it was great seeing their faces. Even the ones that could not see or had a hard time hearing had a great, great time.”

She said that when she gave gifts to a blind couple, she put the gifts in their hands, described the items and let them smell the scents.

Danielle Slaydon, activity director at LibertyWood, said that the residents are touched by the gifts they receive from Home Instead and other groups, because some of them don’t have family and wouldn’t get Christmas gifts.

“With some of them, you don’t get much of a reaction, but others say, ‘I get a present? Somebody cares about me,’” Slaydon said. “You read the expression on these people, and you’ll see tears from everybody.”

Staff Writer Karissa Minn can be reached at 888-3576 or newsdesk@tvilletimes.com.