Laundry soap, facial tissue, chocolate, ham, socks, oranges, lotion -- these are the things home-bound seniors want for Christmas this year.

Cash-strapped Aging Services officials are looking for a few good families to adopt Meals On Wheels recipients this Christmas.

"All we are trying to do is make sure they feel they are not forgotten or alone," said Liz Merrell of Meals On Wheels, a government program. "It is heartbreaking sometimes, what they want -- a ham, chocolate. We are a government agency facing huge budget restrictions from the recession. We are trying to stay afloat."

Though some of the seniors in the program are battling poverty, a Christmas gift is less about need than about feeling wanted.

"This is what is going to happen to each one of us," Merrell said of old age. "Age is a great equalizer. It doesn't matter if you are rich or poor. People are in need and alone because of the physical disability of age."

Almost more important than the single hot meal delivered daily to seniors is having a person check in on these homebound residents once a day, she said.

"Often the only contact they have during the day is the driver for Meals On Wheels," she said. "We give peace of mind to families. Our kind word and safety check to them is almost more important than the food."

The No. 1 reason for early nursing home care is a fall, and the most common cause of falls is poor nutrition among seniors, she said.

"One year on Meals On Wheels is cheaper than one day in the hospital," she said, noting more than 800 people are delivered meals each day in a tri-county area.

"Our senior clients make astonishingly simple requests," said Erin Dyreng, Meals On Wheels nutrition manager, in a statement. "Homebound seniors are appreciative just to be remembered. One client wants a $10 gift card to help buy a hearing-aid battery. Another asked for sweat pants."

The recession hit Aging Services particularly hard, said Scott McBeth, director of Aging Services. "We are struggling to fund basic Aging programs. Our budget is very lean. Many frail and vulnerable seniors depend on our services to survive."

Homebound seniors are easy to forget because they are not in the public eye, Dyreng said. "Aging is an inevitable part of life. These seniors could be your neighbors, your parents, or someday even you."

Community donations of small gift items would ensure that Meals On Wheels drivers will be able to give each homebound senior a token Christmas gift to celebrate the season, Merrell said.

"I call to ask them what they want for Christmas," she said. "One lady asked for a box of Kleenex. Another asked for a soft ball to squeeze for arthritis. One lady asked for bananas. One lady asked for anklet socks. That is what they were asking for."

While some specific needs have been placed on local giving trees, many more general gifts are needed.

"We would love $10 gift cards," she said. "That would be our best No. 1 item that we would love to have. Everything that is given to us goes 100 percent to the seniors. There is nothing taken out for overhead."

Meals On Wheels clients can be adopted on the United Way of Utah County Angel Tree at University Mall, the Utah Valley University Giving Tree, or through donations at Mountainland Association of Governments at 586 E. 800 North in Orem. The deadline to turn in gifts is Dec. 15 by 5 p.m. For more information, call (801) 229-3821 or e-mail emerrell@mountainland.org.

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