For many of us, the holidays are a time to be with family, to treasure what we have, and to partake in family traditions such as trimming the tree, Christmas dinner, caroling, and many other fun activities.
It is easy to forget that many people look toward the holidays with dread: How will I give my children presents? How will we have enough to eat? How will we stay warm? Winter time brings a host of new challenges to people who are already struggling to make ends meet. The financial side of the holidays is – for many – the most stressful part of this time of year.
We don’t like to think about it, but many children go without gifts to help keep their families afloat. Thanks to programs like the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree, Women in Recovery, DHS, and Partners in Education, families can breathe a little easier knowing their kids will get gifts under the tree.
Bama has created our own holiday giving program that encompasses all of these programs called the Christmas Stars.
We just completed our donations and have the stats back on how many people we were able to help with gifts and family food baskets:
- 15 seniors off the Salvation Army Angel Tree
- 1 child off the Salvation Army Angel Tree
- 19 children from Lanier Elementary, our Partners in Education school. This included 6 family food baskets.
- Through our partnership with Women In Recovery we provided Christmas gifts to 20 children and 1 adult.
- We provided gifts for 20 DHS Children who are currently in foster care.
- We also just completed a food drive for Women in Recovery that allows these families to ensure there will be food on their tables this holiday season.
Our help to these families sometimes means the difference between Christmas just being another day, and having something to celebrate.
At Bama, we take giving back very seriously, and the Christmas Stars program provides a tangible, heartfelt way of showing families that they have not been forgotten this holiday season.