On Thursday, volunteers came to Mayville to pick up presents and food for seniors who are alone or just unable to gather with others this Christmas.

The program is called “Santa for Seniors” and is coordinated with the Chautauqua County Office for the Aging. It started about 15 years ago.

“It grew out of our Elder Abuse Prevention Program,” Dr. Mary Ann Spanos, director of the county Office for the Aging program. “These were people we were seeing in that program living alone and just didn’t have anybody to celebrate the holidays with. They started off filling shoeboxes and taking them out to people that we knew.”

Today, the program has grown to include all county departments, community agencies, senior clubs, and other organizations. They collect items, which are delivered to First Baptist Church in Mayville. There, volunteers sort the items and place them in boxes and bags, so they can be delivered to senior citizens throughout the county.

Volunteers gather at First Baptist Church of Mayville to sort and pack gift boxes for Santa for Seniors.

“This year, 168 people will receive a Santa for Seniors box. These are people who are living alone, who don’t have family or friends to celebrate the holidays with,” Spanos said.

Some of the items in the boxes include household items, small gifts, candy, homemade blankets, and various other gifts.

The participants are also given a holiday meal. “If they have some cooking skills, they get a ham dinner. And if they have no cooking skills because they’re getting home delivered meals already, they’re getting a holiday meal from Bob Evans,” Spanos said.

She noted the delivery items go beyond gifts and meal.

“This is about connecting with these people. It’s an outreach,” Spanos said.

Pastor Dan Prewitt and Merida Kaufman were among the volunteers who packed the gifts for Santa for Seniors program.

Pastor Dan Prewitt said First Baptist Church has been involved for the last three years, as a drop-off site, and a place where the boxes are packed.

He said church members were very excited to get involved. “Our goal has always been the community. We don’t want to just speak about the Gospel, but to live it out, to show it,” he said.

Debbie Perry collects donations through the J. Paul Womack Christmas Basket Fund at Hurbut Church at Chautauqua Institution. That money is used to buy the meals.

She and her husband Mark and also help organize volunteers to deliver the packages. “It’s so important to give back. The Lord asks us to serve. That’s what our job is here. That’s why we’re here,” she said.

Spanos said they’re very thankful for all the volunteers and organizations who make this program possible. “It would not be able to continue if Office for the Aging had to do this on our own,” she said.

Kathy Eidens is one of the delivery volunteers in the Santa for Seniors program.