Many county residents think of making the holidays happy for children this time of the year, but one organization is hoping to brighten the lives of seniors in the area.

Mount Airy’s Walgreens is teaming up with Home Instead Senior Care to help make this Christmas special for Surry County seniors struggling with poverty or loneliness.

The program, Be a Santa To a Senior, is a campaign similar to the Angel Tree that delivers gifts to needy local seniors, according to Surry County organizer Van Lankford.

Lankford said Home Instead Senior Care has visited several local agencies and received the names of seniors who may be in need during the holidays.

“These are people who may have little or no contact with family, and may not have the chance to see friends or family and may not receive a gift this Christmas,” he said. “We just want to be able to supply them with a Christmas gift and a brief visit to them during this holiday season. We’re targeting seniors who are kind of forgotten at this time of the year.”

A Christmas tree, similar to the familiar Angel Tree, has been set up at the Mount Airy Walgreens. It is decorated with ornaments with information about a specific senior.

“We want people to come in, take the ornament and go shop for the person,” Lankford said. “Then they’ll just bring their purchases back to Walgreens.”

Volunteers with the program will then wrap the presents and deliver them to the senior, according to Lankford.

He said he hopes the community supports the effort.

“This is something that can be special for neglected or forgotten seniors,” he said. “We want them to have a happy holiday as well.”

For more information about the program, visit beasantatoasenior.com.

Reach Keith Strange at kstrange@heartlandpublications.com or 719-1929.