Every year around Christmas, we hear the call for non-perishable food items and new, unwrapped toys. Like so many families, we'll contribute a few cans, a couple of boxes of Kraft Dinner and a package of pasta in a box at school or at the store. We'll shop for a toy my kids would like and drop it off for another child to enjoy Christmas morning. Off it goes somewhere, and we get a warm feeling that we've done a good deed.
I didn't understand the real impact of these donations until last week. I spent a day at Deltassist's Toy Depot helping out. I wasn't sure what to expect, and I'm not sure I was prepared for what I experienced.
Walking into the East Delta Hall was a bit overwhelming. There were hundreds of toys, books, stuffed animals, clothes, sports equipment, electronics and other gifts. Everything was categorized by age groups for boys and girls, from infant to 16.
Some gifts were simple, some more extravagant, but all something that would be a welcome surprise under the tree. Each toy is more than a gift; it's a connection to a child that would otherwise spend Christmas morning knowing they were different from other kids.
It can't be easy to admit you need help, to open up your life and show your struggles. To qualify, you have to register, be a resident of Delta and show proof of low income. But everyone who arrives at the Toy Depot is treated with respect and dignity, not pity. Many who come in are overwhelmed, standing in the entryway after the doors open with tears in their eyes at the sight before them.
I've always wondered where the gifts we drop off end up, if our donation results in a smile on a child's face. I now know it does more than that. Much more. For one day, Christmas Day, these parents can feel like the rest of us. For a few hours they can put their struggles behind them, knowing their children can meet up with their friends and show off what they got from Santa, just like the other kids.
As they walk through the hall carrying their bag of gifts, I can tell how grateful they are for this service. You can see it in their eyes as they look over the table to find the right gift, a smile coming across their face as they find it. You can hear it in their voice as they thank volunteers for helping them.
I think the most touching moment for me was when one mother found a gift for her son and said, "Oh, that's what he had on his list!"
If you donated something to the Toy Depot, know that small act has made a big difference, not only to a child, but to their parents as well. If you haven't and you'd like to, it's not too late.
So this Christmas morning while I'm watching my kids open their presents, I'll be thinking of the kids who'll open gifts they might not have received, and their parents who would be explaining why Santa passed them by, if not for the generosity of so many.
And a Merry Christmas to you all.
