Our neighbors often have needs beyond what we see on the surface, so we are called to love beyond.
We must rally together to love our neighbors beyond their basic needs – we must love them enough to help them provide a celebratory Christmas for their families. As we strive to meet human needs without discrimination, we must also meet their basic needs by helping sustain programs and services for our neighbors in need all year.
Through our Christmas Cheer program, we help hundreds of lower-income families in our community provide gifts and a Christmas dinner celebration for their families – things that are often unattainable for those less fortunate in our communities.
We strive to provide a joyful Christmas to our children who don't understand financial hardships, and therefore don't understand why their situation looks different than that of those around them.
If you have relied on the generosity of others in the time of need, you likely understand the importance of hope – the hope of a brighter tomorrow, the hope that someone’s generosity will help you clothe and feed your family, the hope that others in your situation also receive the help they need. If you have not relied on the generosity of others, please count your blessings and continue looking within for the courage and strength to continue providing that hope to others.