A sometimes forgotten segment of the population is area senior citizens.

"During the holidays, usually the focus is on kids, understandably so. But, there is this invisible population out there of vulnerable elderly people. A lot are very low income and live alone — what we call elder orphans — their family and friends have passed away," said Josh Newby, marketing communications director for the Council on Aging of West Florida.

An encounter with a senior couple is when Alexis Bolin of Keller Williams Realty realized there is a need to help that segment of the population.

"One of my first experiences was a couple that called me many years ago to sell their house — they could barely pay the utility bills or for medications," Bolin said. "So that got me thinking that there are more people like that out there."