Every year in October my staff and I start the tedious process of finding the poverty stricken and homeless in our community who will not be able to have a Christmas. This is my baby, for I can't stand the thought of someone going hungry or not getting a gift on Christmas. I work hard all year to find donations to fund our project and interview people for suitable volunteers to help with the project. We buy clothing and one toy for each child, take the food needed for a Christmas dinner, and on Christmas Day we prepare a Christmas dinner for the homeless.
This past Friday, 4 days before Christmas, someone turned in the names of 125 more children who would be getting nothing for Christmas. I went into a panic something I never do at work. This was Friday morning. The next two days would be Saturday and Sunday and we would not be working. Monday morning we would start loading the trucks at 6am with gifts and food. There was no way I could find the size of clothing for 125 children, buy them an outfit and a toy, have it all wrapped and ready for the truck on Monday morning.
An hour after I got the news of the extra 125 children, a friend of mine called to wish me a Merry Christmas. My friend is a Priest. I told him of my problem. Chuck said, "Cindy, give me an hour and I'll get back to you. In the meantime start buying the gifts for the children. Trust me, just trust me." I had no funds left to purchase one item let alone gifts for 125. I called a staff meeting and informed them of what was going on. I have the best staff in the world. They all agreed that if we split the 125 between us we could pull it off if we shopped and wrapped during our weekend. They were determined to succeed because they know how much this project means to me.
Exactly an hour later Fr. Chuck called. He had called three other churches and the four would fund the gifts. I just cried I was happy. He had also talked to the Knights of Columbus and they offered to cook and serve the Christmas Day meal to the homeless so my staff and I could spend Christmas at home with our family one year.
I arrived at work at 5:30am Monday morning. My entire staff already there with the gifts beautifully wrapped for the extra 125 children. Again, my eyes welled with tears. I cried a lot that day.
Deliveries started at nine. A social worker, two volunteers and Santa Claus in each vehicle. We made several stops to the homes of some very grateful people. When we came to the fifth house, the home of a little 5 year old boy, the volunteers walked in carrying the food. I followed them in and started talking to the mother and the little boy. Santa opens the door and walks in yelling "Ho, Ho, Ho". That little boy's eyes got as big saucers. He looked at Santa, then looked at his mom and said, "See Mom I told you he would come. He wouldn't forget me." Then with one big leap he was in Santa's arms. His mother started to cry as she said, "There is a God and he does have angels on earth to take care of us. Two standing in this kitchen now."
If it wouldn't have been against my Code of Ethics to cry in front of a client, I would have been in tears. We got in the car to leave and as I pulled away from the house I looked in the rearview mirror and there in the back seat sat Santa wiping the tears our of his eyes.
We can do very little for the poor and homeless as single people. But when we work together we can save this world. I truly believe that.
