Have you ever imagined what it might be like to be Santa Claus? To load your sleigh with goodies and make special deliveries to children around the world? Obviously, no one person can ever live up to the mystique and magic of good ol Saint Nick. We can, however, take the spirit of giving that he portrays and apply it to our lives within our community. That is exactly what we did a few days before Christmas.
We loaded up the car with 2 large bags of stuffed animals and headed to Children’s Village. I volunteered at Children’s Village a few weeks earlier so I knew that it was a great place to make the delivery. We were kindly greeted by the facility staff. They were very appreciative and excited that we were there to spread holiday cheer to their children. We were very excited as well. This was an opportunity for the us to give back to the community. We have spent almost 8 months volunteering our time and efforts to making a difference. This particular experience was different. It allowed us to make an impact by giving more than just our time. It is the season of giving and this was a chance to do that first hand.
We dumped the stuffed animals onto the floor and began to separate them by class. We wanted to make sure that the infant rooms were taken care of first and that they received the appropriate type of toy. We loaded the animals in a wagon and set off to the classrooms. We pulled the wagon of goodies into each room to the amazed glare of the children. They all looked intently as we explained the mission of Impact 52 and our reason for being there to the care-givers and teachers. We could see the appreciation on the faces of the staff as we unloaded the wagon. As each child’s name was called, my two beautiful elves placed a stuffed animal into the child’s cubby. This allowed us to keep the children from picking and choosing which one they wanted while keeping everyone happy. We went from room to room following the same process. In each room, we witnessed joy, laughter, and smiles on the kids’ faces. One little boy was so excited to get a sock monkey that he gave a fist pump to the air in celebration. In all, we delivered over 110 stuffed animals to kids of Children’s Village. Each and every one delivered with love. We finished our visit by donating some new books that the Children’s Village can use in the classroom.
We were very blessed to have had the opportunity to make this Christmas delivery. Many of the stuffed animals we delivered were kindly donated to Impact 52 by someone following our journey. She hoped that we could find a good home for them and that is exactly what we did. The girls could not stop talking about the experience as we drove home. They talked about how good it made them feel to see the smiles on the faces of the children. They described the experience as awesome, touching, and hoped that we could do it again next year. For me, it was another week of witnessing the true impact of serving others. I cannot express enough how much the last 31 weeks have meant to me. I continue to learn more about myself, my family, and the community in which we live. The donation of stuffed animals would not have happened if we hadn’t created Impact 52. This project is mobilizing people to act. Inspiring individuals to stand up to make a difference. The response we have received inspires us to continue to share our stories in an effort show others how easy it can be to positively impact someone else’s life. This week was no different.
Enjoy the season of giving. Hopefully, with your help, we can make it more than just a season!
impact52.org 