More Than Gifts
It was November when the first blankets were donated. Our building, already lacking in storage space, started to transform.
Not in a dramatic way. Not with bells and whistles. Instead it happened slowly, as one box led to another, and another, until suddenly the back office was filled with soft blankets and our lobby started to be filled with bags and patterns of tissue paper everywhere you looked.
When I would stop and look at everything, I knew this is an important tradition.
A tradition belongs to you, our community.
As December arrived, people from across the community began showing up with handmade blankets and throws that looked like warmth wrapped in yarn. Some arrived with donations to help buy what was still needed to make each gift complete. And then there were the coffee mugs, generously sponsored by Mitch Rogers State Farm. They sat in boxes ready to be packaged, delivered and filled with an assortment of warming beverages (another generous sponsorship from Jessica Gallegos of Coldwell Banker Realty).
And still, I wondered, how would all this happen in addition to the daily meal deliveries and client support that take up most of every day as it is.
I should not worry. Not with the volunteers that power this organization. Again this year two volunteer drivers, Elizabeth and Karen, put in overtime coming in multiple times to sort, organize, and package every gift. They worked to ensure when volunteers came in for meal delivery, they could easily take a few gifts with them. That attention to detail is what makes it possible for 440 some people receiving meals to receive something to let them know people care.
We all know December can be hectic. Meals have to be prepared. Schedules are crowded. It can feel like there aren’t enough hours or helping hands to make everything happen. And yet, our volunteers rose to the challenge. They carried meals and delivered gifts with smiles on their faces, even calling themselves lucky to be a part of making someone’s day.
There are two stories that come back to me every year when this project gets busy:
The first is from a new client early in my time here. She had recently lost her husband, and shared something unforgettable. Her husband believed gifts were only for children. Because of that belief, she hadn’t received a wrapped present in over sixty years.
And then there was a thank-you card we received years ago from Ann. In it, she wrote about how wonderful the volunteers were, how much she enjoyed her meals, and how much the gift meant to her. Then she wrote something that has stayed with me all this time:
“Sometimes I forget that I still matter.”
Those words remind me of something important: We never know when something small, a warm blanket, a mug for coffee, a kind gesture, will become the thing someone remembers long after the holidays have passed.
Thank you to everyone who donated, volunteered, sorted, organized, wrapped, and supported this project. Thank you for showing up. Thank you for making space in your December to make this possible. Because of you, someone felt remembered. Someone felt valued. Someone felt that they still matter.
Jeffrey