Adopt-A-Family Restores Faith in Humanity

We received an email from a mom that moved us to tears as she has so beautifully captured why it is so important for children and youth to experience a magical, memorable Christmas. And how donors' support gives even more than the wonderfully wrapped gifts under the tree ~ they give the gift of hope. Here is her story: 

"When I was young, like most kids, I was eventually told that Santa wasn’t real; that in fact Mom and Dad buy and wrap all the presents under the tree. No red suit, no white beard, no elves, no reindeer - just Mom and Dad and a credit card they would spend the next year paying off. I remember being crushed and sad - not that they had lied to me, but that there was no magic. The hope and sparkle of Christmas seemed to darken for me. The next year, my beloved grandfather died on Christmas Eve from a lengthy illness. After that, there was no light - Christmas was just another day for me. 

When I had kids though, all of a sudden I was transported back to my love of Christmas - watching it through their eyes made it magical again. I wanted so badly to give them the sparkle I remembered as a small child. It was never about gifts for me - it was about excitement and love. The first Christmas after the end of my relationship, I was devastated to realize that I didn’t have the money to make my kids' dreams come true. It was the worst and most painful year of our lives and I was going to have to tell them that Santa wasn’t coming for them.

I felt like a failure. I cried myself to sleep most nights trying to figure out how to let them be kids. I prayed for just one day, please God, just let them be kids for one day. I was talking to a friend the next day when she told me about the Adopt-A-Family program. I was in disbelief to be honest. I had lost all faith in humanity after what I had been through. The idea that strangers would give of themselves to make sure my kids had a Christmas was farfetched in my head. However, for them I swallowed my pride and asked for help - I figured something was better than nothing at this point. 

When the community worker came and brought me Christmas for my babies, I honestly sat on the steps and cried. With one gesture of kindness, my faith in humanity was restored. See, the donor didn’t just buy toys and wrap them. They gave me a gift I had all but lost; they gave me hope, a gift that could never be bought at the store. My children got the magic, they got their sparkle, and all their dreams came true because of the kindness of strangers.

When it came time to sit my oldest down and tell her that Santa wasn’t real, my conversation went a little bit differently. I told her that although there is no man in a red suit, the spirit of Christmas exists in the hearts of the amazing people in our community who love enough to make sure the magic doesn’t have to die just because we can’t afford pretty boxes.

You are the magic of Christmas for so many children. What you do makes Christmas morning a happy and magical time for the kids. What you do for the parents though is something that you could never buy - you give us hope, you show us kindness, and you make our dreams come true. Thank you is not enough for what you do for us, there are no words that can possibly express the gratitude."