DALLAS — Putting together a Christmas list might be a year-long endeavor for some children. But making the list a dream come true on Christmas morning can be daunting for parents.
Especially those working hard to even provide shelter.
“I was kind of nervous for this year, I am not going to lie,” said Orlena Smith, a mother of three children currently taking part in one of Interfaith Family Services’ programs.
Interfaith helps families who are either homeless or at risk of becoming homeless find stable housing and employment to break the cycle of poverty. CEO Kimberly Williams said 90% of their families are single mothers.
“These are moms with a strong work history,” said Williams. “What tends to happen is they lose their jobs or they have sick kids and lose hours and find themselves behind on their rent.”
But the holiday season is a time of hope and being able to celebrate with gifts is a way to provide that hope to some families who need it the most.
For the past 15 years, Interfaith has put together a Christmas Store where parents in their programs can pick out gifts for their children. This store serves nearly 100 families and depends on donations to help provide struggling families with the joy and memories every child should have on Christmas morning.
“You remember your favorite Christmas and the last thing we want is families in a traumatic situation to have sad memories,” said Williams.
Orlena is currently in nursing school but thanks to the Interfaith Christmas Store, she has already eyed some of the gifts that will allow her family the holiday she wants to give them.
“It is very important to me because my mom moved us a lot when I was a child so we did not really have Christmas,” she said. “When I had children of my own, I wanted to always do something for them.”
Not only does Interfaith depend on donations to make the Christmas dreams come true, but volunteers are also needed to help run the store, which will be open December 5-7.
You can find a list of the needed gifts on Interfaith’s wishlist on their website. Donations and volunteer signups are needed by November 29.