Waypoint Hotel Steps Up for Local Seniors This Christmas

With fall approaching, winter isn't far behind. To spread the cheer of the Christmas spirit, this holiday season, Waypoint has partnered with Home Instead to sponsor a Local Gift Tree for their "Be a Santa to a Senior" program. It's our way of helping seniors in our community who might be spending the holidays alone.

The program works like this: Home Instead identifies local seniors who could use some holiday support, then partners with businesses like us to set up gift collection trees around town. Each tag on the tree represents a senior's simple holiday wish, like a good book, a new comfortable robe, or a mindboggling puzzle to help pass those long winter days.

Becoming Santa's Helper

Supporting the community has always been part of what we do, and this program offers a direct way to help our neighbors during the holidays. So saying yes to a local gift tree was an easy decision.

The gift tree fits naturally into our lobby space, where people already gather. Patrons can take a tag from the tree and shop for the gift themselves, returning it to the collection box — or they can donate funds, and we’ll pull tags from the tree to fulfill those gift wishes on their behalf. The week before Christmas, our community comes together at Silver Moon Brewing for a wrapping party before the gifts are delivered. Home Instead handles the rest, making sure each gift reaches the right person. Bringing Christmas to others has never been easier.

The Gift That Keeps on Giving Back

Each tag tells a small story. Behind the request for fuzzy slippers is someone whose feet get cold during Bend's winter months. The tag asking for large-print books belongs to someone who still loves to read but struggles with small text. With a bit of generosity, our local Seniors receive tangible reminders that they matter to their community, while givers experience the irreplaceable joy of anonymous kindness.

Home Instead's "Be a Santa to a Senior" program has delivered gifts to thousands of seniors nationwide over the years. The success comes from reliable partnerships with local businesses willing to host gift trees and communities willing to participate. Our role this year is to make participation convenient and accessible for everyone who wants to help.

Where Christmas Spirit Lives Year-Round

Programs like "Be a Santa to a Senior" work because they connect community generosity with genuine need through trusted organizations and accessible participation methods. This Christmas season, our hotel has become more than a resting place. For a while, we are a part of the Christmas headquarters for community care, proving that the best holiday magic happens when businesses open their hearts as wide as their doors.

It's a straightforward program that produces meaningful results for everyone involved. No complicated theories about social change, just practical community care that helps real people during the holiday season.

The gift tree stands as a symbol of what's possible when Christmas cheer meets community spirit. Behind every tag is a story waiting for a happy ending, and Waypoint Hotel is now a place where those stories begin.

Visit Waypoint Hotel to participate in the “Be a Santa to a Senior” Local Gift Tree program. The tree will be up and accessible throughout the holiday season (November 23–December 10) for anyone who’d like to pick up a tag and give back.