Local folks are encouraged to be a Santa to a senior this Christmas season.

Christmas trees with ornaments listing local seniors and their gift requests have been placed in the customer service area at the North Main Street Walmart as well as at Cynthia’s Hair and Nail Center, 3618 Pruden Blvd. Santas can pick ornaments from the tree, buy the gifts and place them — unwrapped, with the ornament attached — under the tree by Dec. 11.

Sponsored by the local Home Instead Senior Care office, the Be a Santa to a Senior program brings together area nonprofits, retailers, volunteers and members of the community to provide gifts and companionship for lonely seniors at Christmas. This is the fifth year of the program locally.

“The need is great this year, as the economy continues to struggle,” Client Care Coordinator Deneen Evans of Home Instead Senior Care said.

Gift requests listed for the seniors include clothing, jewelry, perfume, toiletries and more. Generic gift suggestions offered by Evans also include sugar-free candy, large-print crossword puzzle books, blankets, hats and gloves.

Program partners and volunteers will wrap the gifts at a wrapping party at the Home Instead Suffolk office on Dec. 15. They will be distributed on Dec. 16 at Autumn Care.

For more information about the program, visit www.BeaSantatoaSenior.com or call 774-5051.