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OCES encourages folks to “Be a Santa to a Senior”

Old Colony Elder Services (OCES), a private, non-profit Aging Services Access Point (ASAP) that serves Plymouth county as well as the towns of Avon, Easton and Stoughton, is encouraging the general public to participate in the “Be a Santa to a Senior” program by providing a gift to a senior in need.

Old Colony Elder Services, working in conjunction with the “Be a Santa to a Senior” program sponsor Home Instead Senior Care, has identified approximately 170 isolated elders who otherwise would not receive a gift this holiday season.


Each senior in need is represented by an ornament with their “wish list” written on it.   The wish lists may include items such as postage stamps, clothing, a gift card to a grocery store, candy or other item. The ornaments adorn Christmas trees located at Duval’s Pharmacy at 571 Washington Street in Whitman. The program is running now through December 11th.

To be a “Santa to a Senior”, simply select an ornament from the Christmas tree at Duval’s and purchase a gift that is on that senior’s “wish list”.  Then, place the gift (unwrapped) with the ornament attached into the collection box at the pharmacy.


All the gifts will be collected by Home Instead Senior Care and a wrapping party will be held on December 15th.  Representatives from Home Instead Senior Care and OCES will help wrap and distribute the gifts to the seniors.
Last year, the program delivered more than 350 gifts to seniors. According to Rich and Cherie Sasso, owners of the Home Instead Senior Care Plymouth County, “This program is a way that we can give back to our community by providing gifts to some of our most treasured residents. Our hope is that the presents also can help these seniors recapture some of the excitement of their childhood.”

For questions about “Be a Santa to a Senior”, contact Susan Willis, Home Care Program Director at OCES (508) 584-1561.

About Home Instead Senior Care
The Plymouth County office of Home Instead Senior Care in East Bridgewater is the world’s most trusted source of non-medical care and companionship for seniors. For more information about the agency, contact 508-378-3102.

About OCES
Incorporated in 1974, Old Colony Elder Services (OCES) is one of 27 private, non-profit Aging Services Access Points (ASAPs) in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.  OCES touches the lives of approximately 16,000 people a year. They have 140 employees and operate 20 programs serving elders, their families and caregivers. 

OCES serves elders, their families and caregivers in the towns of Abington, Avon, Bridgewater, Brockton, Carver, Duxbury, East Bridgewater, Easton, Halifax, Hanover, Hanson, Kingston, Lakeville, Marshfield, Middleboro, Pembroke, Plymouth, Plympton, Rockland, Stoughton, Wareham, West Bridgewater and Whitman.

The organization’s mission is to provide services that support the dignity and independence of elders by helping them maximize their quality of life; live safely and in good health; and, prevent
unnecessary or premature institutionalization. 

For more information call (508) 584-1561 or visit the website at www.oldcolonyelderservices.org.

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Boys and Girls Club Announces Marshfield Polar Express Tickets On Sale Now

Kristin Connor as the Conductor of the Marshfield Polar Express
Kristin Connor as the Conductor of the Marshfield Polar Express

The Boys and Girls Club of Marshfield will hold their second annual “Marshfield Polar Express” magical train ride event on Saturday, December 12, 2009! Tickets are $20 each and may be purchased online at http://www.marshfieldpolarexpress.com or at the Boys and Girls Club of Marshfield located at LibraryPlaza.

The Marshfield Polar Express magical train ride event will come to life on the Kingston commuter rail on December 12th. The train is scheduled for four one-hour train rides during the course of the day at 11:45 a.m., 1:30 p.m., 4 p.m. and 7:10 p.m.

Kids are encouraged to wear their pajamas for the ride. All the children will give their Wish List to Santa and enjoy a story, hot chocolate & cookies. There will be much merriment and singing of Christmas Carols and every child will receive a special gift from Santa.

All proceeds from the Marshfield Polar Express event benefit the privately funded, non-profit the Boys and Girls Club of Marshfield. Last year, each train ride was nearly filled to capacity. More than $30,000 was raised to support the club’s programs and scholarships.

To learn more about the Marshfield Polar Express, visit http://www.marshfieldpolarexpress.com.

About the Boys and Girls Club

The Boys and Girls Club of Marshfield’s purpose is to establish a safe haven for recreation, which includes a variety of supervised activities for greater than 4,000 youth (between the ages of 6 to 18 years old) within the town. The Boys and Girls Club of Marshfield has five Core Areas: Character and Leadership; Education and Career; Health, Sport Fitness Recreation and Life Skills; The Arts; and Technology. These Core Areas serve as the foundation for all programming.

As a privately-funded, non-profit organization, the Boys and Girls Club of Marshfield relies tremendously on the generous philanthropic support of individuals.  Financial gifts assist in providing the financial strength necessary to continue the club’s mission “to enable and inspire all young people to realize their full potential as productive and responsible citizens, as well as become tomorrow’s capable leaders.”

For more information about the Boys and Girls Club of Marshfield, please contact (781) 834-CLUB (2582) or visit the website at MarshfieldBoysAndGirlsClub.com or write to the club at P.O. Box 311, Marshfield, MA 02050.

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Old Colony Elder Services Encourages General Public to “Be a Santa to a Senior” this Holiday Season

Old Colony Elder Services (OCES), a private, non-profit Aging Services Access Point (ASAP) that serves Plymouth county as well as the towns of Avon, Easton and Stoughton, is encouraging the general public to participate in the “Be a Santa to a Senior” program by providing a
gift to a senior in need.

Old Colony Elder Services, working in conjunction with Home Instead Senior Care, the “Be a Santa to a Senior” program sponsor, has identified approximately 170 isolated elders who otherwise would not receive a gift this holiday season.


Each of these seniors is represented by an ornament with their “wish list” on it.   The wish lists may include items such as postage stamps, clothing, a gift card to a grocery store, candy or other item. The ornaments adorn Christmas trees located at Duval’s Pharmacy at 571 Washington Street in Whitman and Southeast Medical Center on Route 18 in East Bridgewater.

To be a “Santa to a Senior”, simply select an ornament from one of the two trees and purchase a gift that is on that senior’s “wish list”.  Then, bring the gift (unwrapped) along with the ornament, back to the participating location from which the ornament was selected.

All the gifts will be collected by Home Instead Senior Care and a wrapping party will be held on December 16th.  Representatives from Home Instead Senior Care and OCES will help wrap and distribute the gifts to the seniors.

For questions about “Be a Santa to a Senior”, contact Susan Willis, Home Care Program Director at OCES (508) 584-1561.

About Old Colony Elder Services
Incorporated in 1974, Old Colony Elder Services (OCES) is one of 27 private, non-profit Aging Services Access Points (ASAPs) in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

OCES serves elders, their families and caregivers in the towns of Abington, Avon, Bridgewater, Brockton, Carver, Duxbury, East Bridgewater, Easton, Halifax, Hanover, Hanson, Kingston, Lakeville, Marshfield, Middleboro, Pembroke, Plymouth, Plympton, Rockland, Stoughton, Wareham, West Bridgewater and Whitman.

The organization’s mission is to provide services that support the dignity and independence of elders by helping them maximize their quality of life; live safely and in good health; and, prevent
unnecessary or premature institutionalization.

The agency has 130 employees and operates more than 12 programs serving elders, their families and caregivers.  For more information call (508) 584-1561 or visit the new website at www.oldcolonyelderservices.org.

Old Colony Elder Services Encourages General Public to “Be a Santa to a Senior” this Holiday SeasonRead More