KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A section of Lee's Summit looks like Santa's workshop, with all the cutting, tying and taping going on.
"I am not a good wrapper," Wellington Gorham said as he laughed.
He's a caregiver, and one of the many people making sure everyone gets gifts, to kids from 1 to 92.
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"It’s a community event and it brings joy to those when they do get them," Gorham said.
It's the 20th annual Be a Santa to a Senior event. It's a program through Home Instead, a caregivers service.
Wednesday was one of the last days workers could get together to wrap donated gifts that will soon be delivered to seniors in need.
The program reaches out to nonprofits and organizations for names of people that would need the gifts the most.
"We’re wrapping clothes, gloves, blankets — different things for them," Gorham said. "Today, I wrapped 10 [gifts]."
That's 10 of close to 1000 gifts they're going to distribute across eastern Jackson County.
"There are a lot of people in the community who don’t have anyone," said Kristine Wright, the franchise owner.
She's watched the program grow in the past two decades, from serving 20 seniors to 250.
Nationwide, Be a Santa to a Senior program has served close to two million seniors.
"Our goal is to help people, just to brighten their Christmas, to brighten the holiday season for people," Wright said. "That’s the goal, that’s all of it."
It's a simple way to let the seniors know that someone is thinking of them.
"And that’s the whole thing about it; showing them love, and that they can have things that they can look forward to," Gorham said.
It's caregivers doing what they do best: giving. They're like Santa, without the red suit.
"Working behind the scenes taking care of people, yes," Gorham said.
Deliveries have already started, but they're going to continue delivering into next week so every senior has something under the tree come Christmas.
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