Repacking Christmas presents for Alkulana campers and their siblings is truly an experience filled with gratitude and humility. What moves me isn’t the bags filled with gifts, the amount of behind-the-scenes coordination required on the part of many dedicated individuals, or even the chaos that inevitably comes with the whole experience. Each year, I am more and more aware of two things. First, parents have entrusted us with the care of their Christmas morning,with the responsibility of making it special for their little ones, which is an honor and a privilege.Second, someone took time and resources out of their busy day to Christmas shop for a child they’ve never met. Those two things never fail to amaze me.
As we sit amongst the bags and bags of gifts, Beth and I carefully go through each one.We double check clothing sizes and we ensure siblings from the same family are getting similar amounts of presents, and we repack the gifts into large, Christmas themed bags. We also mention each child by name, thinking back on memories of them from camp in the summer. One of the joys of doing this is that we know most of the children who will be receiving the gifts, so we can imagine their joy opening them on Christmas morning. The families don’t typically ask for much. The wish lists are simple and clear. A winter coat is a common request, or a new blanket or pillow. Some ask for a video game, others just want a gift card so they can pick something out for themselves. It’s easy to take these things for granted. If I needed a new blanket for my bed, I would simply go out and buy it, and I forget too often how privileged I am to be able to do that.
As I read one wish list this year, I was surprised. The little girl whom the list was for didn’t want a toy, or art supplies, or a video game. She wanted a dress. And as I unpacked the bag of gifts for her, I pulled out the most beautiful little dress, bundled carefully in tissue paper,perfect for any occasion. I found myself tearing up, thinking of how happy she would be on Christmas morning when she unwrapped this dress that had been so carefully picked out for her.Someone who has never met her, and likely never will, took the time and care to do that for her.
If you’ve ever taken the time to shop for a child at Christmas, whether it’s through the River City Faith Network, through your church, or through other community programs with the same goal, thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I truly can’t say it enough times. Through the support of so many people in the Greater Richmond community, we were able to provide gifts for many families, all of whom will be touched by the care you’ve provided for their children. You may never know the true impact that this has on a family, but it is greater than imagine. You aren’t just buying gifts, you’re becoming part of the magic behind Christmas, and you’re building a memory for a family that they will cherish for a lifetime.
By Kate Wakeland