Christmas was a magical time as a child – the tree, the gifts, the time with family and friends. There was so much to do and so much to celebrate. Christmas is still my favorite time of the year!
For many of the children we serve in foster care, the holidays are hard. They are not with their families, and gifts – if any – have been few and far between. At Kids to Love, we want every child in foster care to feel the magic of Christmas. Our team – also known as Santa’s North Alabama elves – works tirelessly for months to make Christmas merry and bright for our kids.
We provide Christmas to 25 counties across north Alabama, southern Tennessee and into Mississippi. If social workers and foster parents agree to accept help from us, they can’t ask or receive help from any other resource. That’s because our community steps up to take care of our kids. We provide a mix of clothes and toys. We love to give shoes and coats to every child at Christmas because many times, it’s the only ones they’ll receive all year. All of the items we give for Santa to deliver are brand new.
This is the 13th year we’ve provided our Christmas for the Kids outreach, and during that time there have been many wish list requests that have touched me. The Christmas a little girl asked for pink cowgirl boots, or when “Sarah Grace” asked for ballet slippers – those were wishes our community helped us grant immediately! Sometimes, though, there are wishes that haunt you because you know you can’t grant them. One year a teenager simply asked to go home.
If you want to be a part of our Christmas for the Kids effort, it’s not too late! Online at kidstolove.org is the place to get started to give a child a magical Christmas. After all, we’re never too old to stop believing in Santa.
