My Holiday Tradition I am a Christmas Angel

judith3
judith3 Posts: 296 Member
edited October 2024 in Chit-Chat
As a young child my parents didnt have alot of money so most of the time around christmas we only got one very small gift. For years i asked santa for a bike and i was always so sad on christmas morning when i realized that i once again didnt get what i wanted. It wasnt until i was older and knew that santa didnt exsist that i realized my parents were never able to buy me a bike because we just couldnt afford it and thinking back my mom always seemed so sad when i would say "santa didnt bring me a bike was i bad mommy". well anyways back to the moral of my story one year i remember specifcally that my sisters and i got new clothes dolls games and we were so happy it was the best christmas ever! When i got old enough my mom told me that she had entered us into the Salvation Army's Christmas Angels program and that was the only reason we had gotten any gifts because we were so broke my mom couldnt even afford to buy us a single gift. Well for years that thought had stuck with me that if it hadnt been for someone else who had choosen me and my sisters and spent their own money on us we would of never had that great christmas. Well now its 15 years later and for the past two years i have been participating in the Christmas angels program and purchasing gifts for children so that they have something to open on christmas like i did. It is my way of thanking the person that did it for me and my sisters and i hope that when these children grow up and are able to they also participate in this program. It really is a great feeling to know that you are bringing joy to a child that you dont even know I am and as long as i am able will keep being a CHRISTMAS ANGLE! :heart:

Replies

  • RonneyKay
    RonneyKay Posts: 464 Member
    I do this every year. Its such a good feeling isn't it?

    It REALLY IS better to give than receive
  • judith3
    judith3 Posts: 296 Member
    I do this every year. Its such a good feeling isn't it?

    It REALLY IS better to give than receive

    It really is an amazing feeling i always encourage everyone i know to participate :smile:
  • forme2310
    forme2310 Posts: 157 Member
    I also contribute and this year I took on a family of four kids and a single mom and plan to give them the bext Christmas I can give them by working overtime I have about 42 hours of ot in a two week period. This amazing lady I work with but she has so much pride she would never ask for help but they are my angels and it feels good to help and know that the kids will have a Christmas in spite of their dead beat father. As last year they needed a new tree and oranaments and my partner and I bought them a tree angel and ornaments to decorate it. Its my way of giving back and you get such amzing feeling by doing it
  • judith3
    judith3 Posts: 296 Member
    I also contribute and this year I took on a family of four kids and a single mom and plan to give them the bext Christmas I can give them by working overtime I have about 42 hours of ot in a two week period. This amazing lady I work with but she has so much pride she would never ask for help but they are my angels and it feels good to help and know that the kids will have a Christmas in spite of their dead beat father. As last year they needed a new tree and oranaments and my partner and I bought them a tree angel and ornaments to decorate it. Its my way of giving back and you get such amzing feeling by doing it

    This is so great you are a wonderful person for doing this!
  • RAFValentina
    RAFValentina Posts: 1,231 Member
    I'm sure you meant Christmas Angel not angle! But I'm being nit picky! *slaps self!*
    We used to do this at school everyyear, we also did operation christmas child which was a more global version where you filled a shoebox with small toys and things like a flannel, soap and a toothbrush. It went to really poor parts of the world like Eastern Europe in places torn apart by war etc like the Balkans. Great idea... everyone should do it. I mean after all, you could fill a shoebox with spare stuff that's unopened from your house.

    On officer training we asked everyone on the flight to donate between 50p and £1. We collected £30 and then went to the poundshop and bought multipacks of everything then split them down and managed to make 30 boxes of amazing stuff for just £1 each! Amazing.
  • mazza2marilyn
    mazza2marilyn Posts: 145 Member
    I used to do this when i was working but haven't since i have retired but i will start again.
    may i say you are a lovely young lady,
  • judith3
    judith3 Posts: 296 Member
    I'm sure you meant Christmas Angel not angle! But I'm being nit picky! *slaps self!*
    We used to do this at school everyyear, we also did operation christmas child which was a more global version where you filled a shoebox with small toys and things like a flannel, soap and a toothbrush. It went to really poor parts of the world like Eastern Europe in places torn apart by war etc like the Balkans. Great idea... everyone should do it. I mean after all, you could fill a shoebox with spare stuff that's unopened from your house.

    On officer training we asked everyone on the flight to donate between 50p and £1. We collected £30 and then went to the poundshop and bought multipacks of everything then split them down and managed to make 30 boxes of amazing stuff for just £1 each! Amazing.

    Wow that is so great and such a good idea!!

    and yes i ment ANGEL lol i totally knew i was going to spell it wrong at least once
  • judith3
    judith3 Posts: 296 Member
    I used to do this when i was working but haven't since i have retired but i will start again.
    may i say you are a lovely young lady,

    Thank you :)
  • 4thehardman
    4thehardman Posts: 728 Member
    Thank you for the inspiration. The triplets in particular get a lot of gifts from other people and oftn Sophie too. This year I will get gifts for the children at 'Terre des Hommes' (refuge childrens hospital) with the money I would have used to buy stuff for my kids. Under our tree is already crowded so they won't even notice.
  • Eleanorjanethinner
    Eleanorjanethinner Posts: 563 Member
    Good for you! I think it's awesome to focus on helping others at this time and also teaching kids to think of others, not just themselves.

    I buy as many 'Fair Trade' gifts and gifts from charities like goats for needy families etc. as I can. And give some food to our Church foodback, but I could and should do more. We are so very blessed, it's only right to share that around!
  • tanniew78
    tanniew78 Posts: 602 Member
    I have been homeless and without a way to get my kids gifts and have been a recipient of these organizations. Ive been a donor for years. Hair to locks of love, money to Rileys or Ronald McDonald House.... Toys for Tots... This year is the first time Ive done the angel tree. I wanted to give back since Ive managed to scrape and bust my butt out of the hole I was in. Im very blessed. I dont make much money, but its a blessing to even have a job so I adopted 2 this year. I have to say it was a bit of a nerveracking experience as I had no clue as to how much or little I was supposed to get, but I think I did pretty well. I wish there were more clear guidelines and I was left feeling like I wish I could have done more.....
  • awdamm
    awdamm Posts: 375 Member
    the hubby and I are taking our gifts in to drop off this weekend. its such a good feeling to help give back. we're not rich by any means but any extra we have it totally worth giving it to a small child that may not have anything this year if it wasnt for others giving back!

    awesome job!
  • jaajh
    jaajh Posts: 1,262 Member
    It is great that so many of you are involved in giving at Christmas like this. I live in Mali, W.Africa, and children in our town are recipients of the shoeboxes from Operation Christmas Child that someone above mentionned. I wish you could see the pure joy on these kids faces when they receive their shoebox. Many of these kids have never received presents like this. THANK YOU to anyone who is giving to such kids this year!
  • CJK1959
    CJK1959 Posts: 279 Member
    I think all of you who help others less fortunate are simply wonderful. It is such a great feeling to know that your gift can bring a smile of job to the face of a child or anyone else that is a receipient of your generosity. When you are blessed...pay it forward...you will feel overwhelming grace.
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