This time of year, football is on a lot of our minds. For me, a football also holds a special Christmas memory, and a reminder of what generosity can mean to a child. As a child, my family didn't have enough money for Christmas gifts. My parents were simply trying to pay rent and provide the basic necessities for my siblings and me. But, through other's generosity, we received Christmas gifts from our community, and all these years later I can still remember the joy of receiving a simple football for Christmas. Someone else’s generosity gave me a moment when I didn’t have to think about what my family was going through. I just got to be a kid. Thanksgiving gives us a beautiful opportunity to pause and recognize just how much we’ve been given. And one of the most meaningful ways we can express our gratitude is through generosity.
That’s what I love about Avenue of Life’s Christmas Shoppe. For children and families experiencing or at risk of homelessness, Christmas gifts are about more than what is inside the wrapping paper. They create moments of normalcy, excitement, dignity, and joy. They allow a child to talk about what they got for Christmas, play with a new toy, and experience some of the same traditions as their friends. This Thanksgiving and Christmas season, I invite you to turn gratitude into generosity. Together, we can remind families facing difficult circumstances that they are not alone and give children something every child deserves: the simple joy of being a kid at Christmas.
Please help give a child the simple joy of being a kid at Christmas. Scan the QR code, choose a gift for a child or family, and we’ll make sure it gets into the hands of a family in need through Avenue of Life’s Christmas Shoppe.
