GREEN VALLEY, Ariz. (KGUN) — The holidays can be a difficult time for seniors in Southern Arizona, where loneliness often becomes more pronounced.
“You think retirement communities and people are golfing and all that, but we do have a lot who now have issues as they age,” said Linda Walter, executive assistant at Valley Assistance Services. “They’re not able to drive, they’re not able to get out as much as they would want. So they become lonely.”
In an effort to combat this issue, Valley Assistance Services (VAS) is running its annual Santa Cause program, delivering warmth, comfort and a sense of community to older adults across the region.
Inside the VAS offices in Green Valley, dozens of stockings are packed with blankets, hats, scarves, toiletries and treats—all donated by the community. The handmade gifts will be delivered to seniors in Green Valley, Sahuarita, Tubac, Amado and Rio Rico, bringing cheer to those who might otherwise feel alone during the holiday season.
The Santa Cause program, which began two decades ago, relies on the generosity of the community. Local groups, including the Valley Quilters Guild, Quail Creek Needleworks, and the American Sewing Guild, contribute handmade blankets, hats, and scarves, while volunteers from the Green Valley Fire Corps and other community members deliver the gifts.
VAS volunteers also take on delivery tasks. “My husband and I drove last year and made deliveries,” Walter recalled. “There were a number of people who were crying when we delivered to them—‘this is the only Christmas present I’ll ever get.’”
The initiative addresses a serious and growing issue. According to a Medicare survey, 57% of older adults report feeling lonely during the holidays. For many seniors, these stockings serve as a vital reminder that they are not forgotten.
“They’re here by themselves, most of them. The families are away,” said Gloria Espinoza, who works with the Transportation, Diaper, and Food Bank at Valley Assistance Services. “So we try to cheer them up with a gift.”
Chris Erickson, Executive Director of VAS, highlighted the program’s community-wide impact.
“We partner with the knitting groups, the quilting groups, and the Green Valley/Amado Food Bank, then bring it together,” Erickson said. “That’s the reason why everybody does it—it’s the care for those who are left alone or not having a Christmas in the community.”
The program even utilized a Sahuarita High School student as an intern, helping to make phone calls to seniors to gauge interest in the program and organizing the gift dropoffs. Erickson says that the experience sparked connections across generations.
“One of the older adults said ‘You’re the one with the sweet voice’ and she said ‘That just made my day,” Erickson said. “So not only are you making the day for seniors. It’s like an intergenerational program.
The gifts will be delivered to seniors by Tuesday, Dec. 17. To learn more about the program, visit the Valley Assistance Services website.
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Joel Foster is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9 who previously worked as an English teacher in both Boston and the Tucson area. Joel has experience working with web, print and video in the tech, finance, nonprofit and the public sectors. In his off-time, you might catch Joel taking part in Tucson's local comedy scene. Share your story ideas with Joel at joel.foster@kgun9.com, or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram or X.
