Santa Trades His Sleigh for a Golf Cart to Bring Holiday Cheer to Palm Desert Seniors

We continue our holiday coverage tonight with a special visit that brought smiles and warmth to a local senior living community. A familiar guest arrived in Palm Desert this morning, reminding everyone that no matter your age, you’re never too old to receive a gift from Santa Claus.

Santa Claus rolled into town as jolly as ever, though he skipped the sleigh in favor of a golf cart. The man in red was actually JoJo Pantuso’s husband, with Pantuso herself dressed as Mrs. Claus. Together, they’re spreading the season of giving throughout their senior living homes—one present at a time.

The senior living community, called Amber’s House, opened three years ago and is home to just six residents. Pantuso says the small number allows the home to feel personal and close-knit, describing the residents as one big happy family.

Christmas is the holiday they celebrate most. Pantuso says that’s because they understand how precious each holiday can be for their residents.

“They don’t have families, and we know that this is, in all likelihood, either their last Christmas or one of their last Christmases,” Pantuso said. “For us, it’s about making them feel seen, loved, and treasured—and making the holiday feel truly special.”

One of the residents, Mary Kaplan, is over 100 years old and has experienced countless holidays in her lifetime. She says what stands out most at Amber’s House is the love shared among everyone there—along with the constant sound of Christmas music.

“It’s marvelous that they have that ability and the love,” Kaplan said. “Because it takes love to do this job. Those old songs are so beautiful, and they mean so much to me.”

Before opening Amber’s House, Pantuso says she and her husband used to travel during the holidays. Now, instead of vacations, they stay home to focus on their residents—an experience she says is far more rewarding than anything they did before.

Pantuso also shared that about half of the seniors no longer have family members who visit them. That reality drives her and her husband to work even harder to make Christmas as memorable as possible.