PROCTORVILLE — During this time of year, there are many donation programs to help needy children have a special Christmas.

Covenant Home Health Care Services and Fruth Pharmacy in Proctorville are teaming up to bring Christmas cheer to a different age group in Lawrence County.

“Children aren’t the only ones in need at Christmas, or all year, so this is really a good program,” Fruth manager Patty Holley said of the program. “I’ve been with Fruth for 20 plus years and the family has always been willing to help anybody in need in the community and that’s what they want all of us to be able to do.”

The program, Sharing Christmas with Lawrence County Seniors in Long-Term Care Facilities, would provide the community a way to give back to needy seniors that have already given so much of themselves over the years.

“These are people that have taken care of other people their whole lives, now they need taking care of,” said Mike Ramsey, marketing manager for Covenant Home Health Care.

The concept is simple, Ramsey explained, “Customers come into Fruth, take an ornament off the tree. There is a card attached to the ornament, on the back of the card there is patient information, their sizes, what they want for Christmas. The person buys it, drops it off at Fruth.”

Ramsey said that some of the requests on the cards are, “Anything from NASCAR t-shirts to bath and body lotions to robes to socks to cases of Pepsi, hats, pajamas. Stuff like that.”

Holley said that the tree was set up last Tuesday with 38 names and ornaments. She also said that as of this Tuesday, all the names had been claimed and Ramsey would be bringing more.

“I’m thrilled and just highly amazed at how quickly everybody jumped in and helped,” Holley said. “Our community has really gone above and beyond this year in helping us achieve our goal.”

Ramsey said the deadline to return the gifts is Dec. 15 so he could deliver them on Dec. 18-20. The cards must be returned with the gifts to know which senior it should go to.

“It’s just our way of giving back to community and keeping it local,” Ramsey said.

The Fruth Pharmacy is located on 206 State Street in Proctorville.