'Tis the Season: Our Christmas Gifting Day
With the festive season upon us, and inspired by the numerous donations we’ve received at the Centre over the past month or so, I had been planning a blog post exploring the reasons that we choose to give – whether to friends, family, or strangers.
But that plan is now (metaphorically at least) crumpled up and thrown away.
Because today in My Sisters’ House we had our Christmas Gifting Day, when we have the privilege of giving out all of those amazing donations that people have brought in: gifts for women, for children of all ages, and even a few gifts for men. And rather than pondering the nature of giving in the abstract, I want to share a little of the reality.
Before we opened our doors this morning, we looked around at the wrapped presents piled high on every table, and hoped that people would come in to collect them. We didn’t want to disappoint our donors by failing to pass on their gifts.
But we needn’t have worried about that.
Three hours later, almost all of those gifts had been distributed. In that time, we gave out presents for over a hundred children, issued almost thirty vouchers for the local foodbank, handed out more than twenty bags of donated toiletries, and spoke to at least ten women who hadn’t been brave enough to come in to our Centre before today, and who we hope will make use of our services in the new year.
I think I speak for all staff and volunteers when I say that the pleasure of being able to help is always tinged with the sadness of realising just how much that help is needed. Too many people are struggling to make ends meet, week after week, and for lots of people Christmas – a time of year that should be joyful – adds yet another layer of stress, as they are somehow expected to find extra money for presents and food.
Today some of those people came to My Sisters’ House in the hope of relieving just a little of that stress.
People like the young woman who had no spare cash for Christmas treats because she’d been spending so much on travel to visit a family member in hospital.
Or the mother who told me that this time last year she was looking through her kitchen cupboards in search of something – anything – she could wrap up, just so that her children would have a present to open on Christmas morning.
And the multiple women who were visibly delighted to be given one of our bags of donated toiletries, because they hadn’t been able to afford to buy shampoo for ages and were longing to wash their hair properly.
Behind these brief sentences, and behind every woman who came through the door today, there is of course a longer story. And we listen to those stories all year, and we do what we can to help to change that story; to make the ending better.
But today, what has stuck in my mind most of all is a phrase I heard repeatedly from the mothers I helped to choose gifts for their children.
Because, once the children were provided for, I invited each woman to choose a gift for themselves. And without fail, they all said, “Oh no, I’m fine.” Every single one of them was simply concerned about making sure that their children had a good Christmas – they genuinely hadn’t thought about themselves.
Which was a perfect reminder – if one were needed – of just how amazing, strong, and selfless women are. And why, when one of those strong women just can’t do it on her own any more, we will do our very best to support her.
Of course, we made sure that all of the women who came in to the Centre today took home a little something to pop under the tree for themselves. I truly hope that they enjoy opening them on Christmas Day, and that it helps them to remember how genuinely amazing they are.
And I truly thank all of those who give to us or to other organisations like ours, at Christmas and throughout the year, whatever the reason for that gift might be.
