At nine years of age it was no great secret to me that my mom was struggling to make ends meet. Waking up for school on wintry mornings in Upstate New York to get ready for school meant I’d bring my outfit downstairs so that I could dress on the heating grate in the living room.  Often, there were mornings when there wasn’t any oil in the tank, which meant there wasn’t any heat to accompany this ritual.  Days like these were greeted by my mother pulling out the kerosene heater and our bundling up in the kitchen and playing board games.

We never went hungry.

The occasional monthly trips to the food pantry provided us boxes of dried milk, canned goods and HUGE blocks of cheese. I remember standing in line wondering what in the world people would make with THAT MUCH cheese. My Grandmother – who lived with us – would make homemade macaroni & cheese, cheesy mashed potatoes, grilled cheese served with tomato soup… The cheese recipe list was endless, as was the knowledge that we would always have food on the table and cheese. LOTS of cheese!

Christmas is meant to be *magical*.

Christmas eve would abound with  my sister’s and my whispering of what Santa might bring us and promises to stay awake until we heard him.  On two occasions, Santa’s delivery stopped short of landing under the tree and instead was found on our front porch. Our questions of “why” were met by mother’s explanation that Santa probably had a busier year than most and was running out of time to bring them inside.  It didn’t matter where the gifts had landed, Santa made me feel like a special little girl.

I was an Angel Tree Kid.

Later on in my teens, through tears, my mother shared that my sister and I were Angel Tree Kids and that without this program, and the help of our church, Christmas wouldn’t have been a possibility during those years.  The reality that  those toys and the clothes wrapped under the tree and on the porch came from people who truly cared about kids who were in need moved me then and  moves me today.

There is still significant need.

In 2014,14.8% of the US population were living at or below the poverty threshold and 2015 is on track to exceed last year. “The poverty rate in 2014 for chil­dren under age 18 was 21.1 percent.”  As I type this and you read it there are parents –  like my mother – who are working and struggling to feed and clothe their children.  Children deserve to enjoy the naivety and magic that comes with childhood and the holidays… Sadly, many know that a meal, a new outfit or even a tiny hope for a gift is wishful thinking, at best.

‘Tis the Season

Again, this year I’ve “adopted” a 9 year old Angel. She’s the same age that I was when I first became an Angel Tree kid and she too comes from a single-parent household. Her wish list: a pair of $20 jeans, a candy land board game and three miniature Disney Frozen princess figurines…

Once upon a time, someone made my mother’s, sister’s and my Christmas magical. I only hope that in some tiny way I can do the same for others. Helping a family in need, “adopting” an Angel Tree child, donating food to the local food bank/ pantry or taking a shut-in a Christmas meal truly makes a difference my friends.  And in the end isn’t it always fun to make *magic* happen?

Happy holidays everyone – I hope you make the season count.