Did I get what I wanted for Christmas?

It starts in September like it does every year, the beginning of my Christmas.

For those who have been sponsoring families (through the Guiding Light Food Bank’s adopt-a-family program) in the past, I start sending out requests for the new Christmas season.

This year was different. Some of my sponsors from last year have moved, or are closing down due to the poor economy we are all experiencing, so the push is on to find new sponsors.

By mid-September, I have received 40 families who are requesting a Christmas basket. However, I only have five sponsors so far who have committed to sponsoring this year.

Worry starts.

Near the end of November, an interview was done with a very bright young lady from the Northern Life newspaper. Jenny (reporter Jenny Jelen) is her name. In the next week’s newspaper, there was this huge write up about me and the food bank. I was expecting four or five lines at the most, but this a stand out plea for help.

The phone starts ringing, and the response I received from the article in Northern Life started to work. The same day the paper went out we picked up 15 more sponsors, who explained that they read about the help needed for Christmas. The second day more people and businesses called to sponsor families. Some sponsors took on more than one family.

This was going to work.

Just a few weeks till the big day, and I have run out of sponsors. The article that Northern Life ran was the biggest help ever, and because of the article we were closer to reaching our goal.

About this time, a young lady came to my office, looking for help for Christmas. She has three children and herself, and had no way of giving her family a Christmas of any kind. Her income was cut back and her rent was taking up most of the income she was receiving.

As she was sitting and filling out my four-page application form, I received a phone call from a family who wanted to help. I told that I had a young lady currently in my office filling out our application. 

After the phone call was over, I turned to the young lady, and told her that the phone call was a family who wanted to sponsor her family for Christmas. She could not believe it at first. I had to tell her twice. She started to cry.

I tried so hard, but I failed to keep the emotion to myself, and I started to cry with her. Her gratitude was far beyond any I have encountered in a long time.

We did not complete our task of 50 families, and fell short by five sponsors. I was able to channel the remaining five families to other organizations, so it was all good.

Did I get what I wanted for Christmas? Let us take inventory. Almost 200 people did have a Christmas they were not going to have otherwise. I shed tears with people who have struggled all year long with worry and despair.

I explained to a little girl that sometimes Santa drives a black truck and not a red sleigh. The expressions of joy from the faces of little children, and of course the bigger ones, are sights I will remember for a long time.

Did I get what I wanted for Christmas? You bet I did. To everyone who had taken a part of this Christmas adopt-a-family program I want to say thank you so much. I hope your generosity and love for others spreads like the wind to everyone in our community.

Many blessings be upon you and your families for being involved. God bless you.

Elmer F. Kutcher
chairman, Guiding Light Food Bank

Posted by Jenny Jelen