MURRELLS INLET, SC (WBTW) – The season of giving has many donating to Angel Tree programs to help struggling parents make it a special Christmas for their child, but another group in need is sometimes forgotten this time of year. One organization works to show them someone cares.

Seven hundred local seniors have their names written on ornament tags and Home Instead Senior Care wants to give them a dose of holiday cheer with a gift this season.

The annual ‘Be a Santa for a Senior’ project seeks for seniors without family who are living in nursing homes and facilities across Horry and Georgetown County. 

Seniors are granted a wish list often requesting essential, everyday items. News13 visited the Lakeside Community Clubhouse where a donation tree is located seeing requests for toothpaste, deodorant, and body wash.

“They ask for clothes, they ask for food sometimes, they will even ask for a gift card for a grocery store. It’s amazing the things they ask. There is never any greed involved,” Marti Smart, Home Instead Senior Care coordinator said.

Christmas trees scatter neighborhood clubhouses and local fast-food restaurants like Zaxbys and Bojangles where donations can be dropped off. 

The goal is for each senior to have a bag full of gifts to open. “If it weren’t for ‘Be a Santa to a Senior,’ Christmas would be another day,” Smart said.

Home Instead Senior Care tell News13 some of the gift ideas and needs are functional clothing like slippers, sweatshirts, socks, hats, and gloves. Others are requesting gifts like lotion, stationary, and DVDs.

Program volunteers will collect gifts dropped off at locations regularly and restock senior tags until all seniors are selected.

Participating in spreading the word on the seniors who need a Santa are multiple Zaxby locations on 544 and 17 bypass:

Zaxby’s locations:

  • Zaxby’s Hwy 44: 100 Strand Market Dr. Myrtle Beach, SC 29588
  • Zaxby’s Myrtle Beach: 3725 Oleander Dr. Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
  • Zaxby’s of Carolina Forest: 3858 Renee Dr. Myrtle Beach, SC 29579
  • Zaxby’s of Conway: 1623 Church St. Conway, SC 29526

Bojangles location:

  • Hwy 17 Bypass – Queens Harbor Surfside, SC 29575

The final gifts will be collected on December 10th. Volunteers will wrap all presents at a wrapping party on December 12th and distribute shortly before Christmas.