Santa's workshop

I think I’ve seen more Santa’s Workshops advertised this year than ever before. Traditionally they are holiday shopping experiences for children to purchase reasonably priced gifts for family members. Last year my granddaughter shopped for her mom and dad, younger brother, dog Remmie and grandparents at the Santa’s Workshop in her elementary school. I still have my treasured votive candle, cologne, and reindeer bread basket she bought especially for me. But what’s most meaningful is the love that she expressed through her gift-giving.

Here at Hope Alive we too have a Santa’s Workshop each year. The sign went up this week on our conference room door where shopping bags of donated gifts are sorted so our resident moms and children can shop for each other. With little or no income, Christmas shopping is a luxury homeless families cannot afford. So Santa’s Workshop gives our moms the dignity they deserve by allowing them to provide gifts for their children. More importantly, it’s an expression of an outpouring of love and hope! They are overwhelmed by the gifts given for them! They can hardly believe that strangers care so much for families they have never met. We know this is just one more way God reaches into their hearts and souls to embrace them with His life-changing love!

Thank you to all who make this lavish expression of love possible. Thank you for keeping hope alive for each precious life we serve. My prayer for you is that you will know God’s indescribable love by receiving the gift of His Son Jesus this Christmas. Until next week …

Sue Oehmig
Founder and Executive Director