This Christmas, I have gotten to match up families living in poverty with sponsors for Christmas presents. The families are all from our programs, so I know most of them and there is NOTHING more awesome than being able to talk to someone in need and to be able to say, "Oh, no big deal, we can help you with that." So it's just awesome and THEN sometimes you get a story like this:
There is a single mom, Sarah, with four kids, ages 5, 10, 12, and 16. She recently fled a domestic violence situation, and is living in poverty trying to make ends meet. She had been searching for work for months but it was hard to find as a Bosnian refugee with limited education and skills. She finally found a job in late November working as a cleaning lady in a nursing home. She is months behind on her bills and when I called her in November to ask her if she was interested in our Christmas Giving program, she had already told her kids that they wouldn't have Christmas at all this year. She was so grateful!
Oh, but it just gets better.
Sarah called a few weeks later to let me know that what she really needed for her kids was clothes, not toys. They just moved and their house is empty, her kids clothes are in rags, and she has absolutely no money to spend on these problems. They don't have sheets for their beds or pillows, and she doesn't have enough money to pay for her gas to work.
On top of all this, her neighbor (a recovering drug addict) was having surgery OVER CHRISTMAS (December 22-27) and her two little girls, ages 4 and 5, were going to be staying with Sarah. She asked me if there was any way we could include these little girls into her family for Christmas Giving, as they have nothing themselves.
So of course, we did.
Just a few days ago, Sarah called me, so grateful that her sponsor had dropped off 2 presents for each of her kids. She nervously asked me if I had told the sponsor about the need for clothing. I assured her that I had, but I didn't know what the sponsor chose to buy.
It really got on my heart that this was a deserving family and I really wanted to specially bless them this season. But with only a few days left, what could I do?
I emailed all the Rebound volunteers and staff and asked if anyone could donate anything for this family, and briefly told them Sarah's story.
THE NEXT DAY, someone decided to sponsor her family specifically to buy them new clothing! Some others are getting together to buy her a gas card! And someone is buying Sarah scrubs to wear at her new job!
AND THEN SOMEONE DROPPED OFF A 450 DOLLAR GIFT CARD FOR THEM! The donor wanted to give a gift card instead of pre-bought gifts so Sarah could buy the things she really needed (and liked) for her own family. They deserve it so much!
And I GET TO BRING IT ALL TO HER TOMORROW!
Yeah, people coming together! My job rules, my life is awesome, I love this career.
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