Do you need some good news to cope with your winter blues?
If you are like many of us, we are experiencing the winter blues. With the holiday season over and all of us solidly back to our real lives, we can all be a little sad. And here in Colorado we still have plenty of snow until spring, and we could all benefit from some good news. This is why we want to tell you about some of the families that community members like you supported through our holiday “Adopt A Family”
For Savio families, the holidays can be a little bit stressful. On top of all the regular holiday challenges, Savio families are working hard to improve their mental and behavioral health and relationships. And many of these low-income families cannot afford to provide a traditional holiday experience for their kids, which stresses them out even more.
This holiday season however, these families got a little bit of a break thanks to the generosity of some amazing community members who supported our annual Adopt-A-Family program. 85 individuals, 30 companies, and one remarkable condo community made sure that these families got to experience the joy of the holiday season and took one thing off the parents’ plates.
This year we saw an unprecedented number of families submit wish lists. We received over 475 lists. Between those who went shopping to provide these items and those who made cash contributions so our staff could shop for the remaining families, all had their holiday wishes filled.
Let us tell you about some of the families that were helped by this program:
Kenna is only 20 years old, but she is the mother of five children under the age of five. On top of raising her children, she just completed her GED. When she heard about the program from her Savio staff member she was so excited that they might finally be able to have holiday presents. Her therapist pushed her to include a few things for herself. In a text to her therapist she said, “Even if I don’t get anything, it was really fun to think about. Christmas ended for me a long time ago.” All she had asked for was slippers and a candle.
Her children received toys, clothes, and educational materials. And she got a present for the first time since she was a young girl.
Andrea and Eric are raising two little boys annd money is tight. They were one of the first families to turn their wish lists in. Andrea was determined that her sons would have presents no matter what. She kept calling to check and see if their list had been selected online, because if not she was going to go shopping with money meant to pay their electric bill, which was already past due and at risk of being shut off. Once their list was selected she rushed to bring their electric bill up to date. The boys got their holiday presents, and the parents breathed a sigh of relief that their bills were paid.
Izzy and Alexis are in their early teens. Their mother, Molly, has struggled with substance use their whole lives, leading to housing instability. The girls had been crashing with friends hoping that their mom would be able to get the help she needed. This year, Molly had completed her substance use treatment, found stable employment, an apartment, and strengthened her relationship with her daughters. All that was left was for her daughters to come home. Their wish lists consisted of bedding for their new room.
The girls got to ring in the new year in their newly decorated bedrooms with their mother there to say goodnight.
Items like new bedding, slippers, or a toy that isn’t a hand-me-down may seem small to many. To the Savio families, however, they can mean the world of difference. To the parents, providing their children with a small holiday wish can relieve an immense amount of stress. And to the kids, having something that makes them feel special or like their peers can change their outlook on the year to come. This relief gives them the opportunity to focus on the mental and behavioral services that will help their family achieve long-term stability and success.
Thank you to the Adopt A Family program supporters! Your generosity ensured that Savio families could feel the spirit of the season.
Savio helps families with critical items like cribs, bedding, and diapers all year round. Want to be alerted when the next family needs bedding or a crib to bring their child home? Sign-up to be part of our action team below and you’ll be notified when a child or family has an urgent need.