This past week I received an email from a young lady whose heart wants nothing more than to help her family. Her email perfectly captures why we do this every year. With her permission, I share with you a portion of her email. (Personal and identifying portions redacted for her and her family's privacy.)
Linda,
I'm writing to you in hopes that you can help me this holiday season. Watching my family struggle as they do brings me to tears almost daily. My father is working as a night stocker at (removed) along with his other job, and my mom is working two jobs as well. I have 4 younger siblings in high school, middle, and elementary. Things have been really rough for about a year and a half now.
I didn't know how bad the money situation had gotten until the moment my mom told me she was taking some of the kids Halloween candy and putting it away to use in Christmas stockings this year... If I could give every penny I owned to my hard working parents, I would. I'm moving back in with them in 2015 to help them pay for rent and food. I never would have imagined it could get this bad for my family and it makes me sick to know that there are people out there who have it even worse. I've already been thinking this week about what I could do to help them and when I read your post I couldn't help but ask for some support. Any dollar would help. My family is very simple and my parents would NEVER ask for anything. I know they would be overjoyed with a giftcard to get gas or groceries. This is all I can think of at this moment.
Thank you for remembering the true meaning of Christmas and spreading joy to the hearts of others through your blog. It's good to be reminded what it's really all about. Please let me know if there's any way I can help you help others this holiday season. I would be happy to donate my time to you and your wonderful cause.
Name Withheld
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This young lady will be receiving our help for her family. We will be providing a grocery store giftcard as well as something for each of her siblings to open Christmas morning. She wants nothing more than to see them happy and help her family in any way she can. I may get to be the Elf, but she is the sELFless one.
Please help spread the word about our efforts. And if you can donate, the link is always open on the left side of this page.
Dammit, now my makeup is ruined. Heading to Paypal right now. I am so happy I am able to help this year. God Bless you Linda - you are such an angel.
Posted by: Chicky | Saturday, November 22, 2014 at 09:28 AM