Mission Christmas

Elvis sang it best, “Why can’t every day be like Christmas? Why can’t this feeling go on endlessly? For if every day could be just like Christmas, what a wonderful world it would be.” This idea of continuing the spirit of Christmas throughout the whole year, really lit a fire within for me to find ways to be able to give back to others and bring joy during times of others' struggles. I’ll never forget the first time I really decided that Mission Christmas could be a “thing” one day. I was scrolling through Facebook and a co-worker had posted that a distant relative that was older had taken over custody of two younger children due to some unfortunate circumstances involving the parents. The family members weren’t in a financial situation to be able to provide Christmas for the two young children, as they were struggling to figure out how to cover the basic necessities. The post was asking if anyone would like to donate a toy or clothing for the children for Christmas. As I read the post, I was compelled to help; to find a way to allow these two children to have the same joy I had as a child. That feeling, at that moment, is one that I’ll hold on to forever. Something so simple. So easy. Yet impacted this family more than I could imagine, and so began Mission Christmas.