With just two weeks until children wake up on Christmas morning, hoping Santa Claus has left them a special gift, the community’s support is more vital than ever. This holiday season, Saint Nick could use an extra hand to ensure no child feels overlooked or forgotten. More than 900 families still hope to be sponsored through United Way’s Sub For Santa program.
That is more than 2,300 children in need in Utah County alone.
Though donations have been record-breaking this year, “We’re finding that there are more people that are having hard times than we had anticipated,” United Way of Utah County President and CEO Bill Hulterstrom told the Deseret News on Wednesday.
Designed to give temporary relief to households experiencing financial hardships from job loss to hour cuts, integrated with the high cost of living, Hulterstrom emphasized that every family goes through a detailed screening, and though outward appearance can be deceiving, never judge a book by its cover.
Nearly half (47%) of families this year have never asked for Christmas help before.
“One of our objectives is that people who are helping and people who need help feel connected.” He shared that there have been times when sponsors drop off presents for families and are invited inside, where children have drawn heartfelt pictures to thank them. However, simply donating online also works, and a volunteer will do the shopping and delivery for you.
Each donation sponsor is encouraged to provide essential items, three to five books per child, clothing and a few fun toys to bring a touch of magic to their Christmas morning.
“We want people to feel protected and know that people care for each other. Most of the families that we deal with, you’ll quickly realize that they just hit hard times for this time in their life, and you’ll find a remarkable amount of gratitude,” Hulterstrom said.
To donate or volunteer to sponsor a family, visit subforsanta.org. Or call 801-356-6300.
Children aren’t the only ones who need Christmas cheer
Another program in Salt Lake County is struggling to bring Christmas cheer to all of its beneficiaries, though their demographic is slightly older. Out of the almost 400 donation requests, the Giving Tree is down to a couple dozen or so requests.
The Giving Tree is located at the Salt Lake County Government Center and is decorated with names of elderly Utahns who, without this program, likely wouldn’t receive a single gift on Christmas Day. Donors can select a name from the tree, purchase the requested gifts — ranging from clothing and cleaning supplies to pet food — and return them to the Salt Lake County Government Center, where case workers then deliver the gifts to the homebound seniors.
“We serve about 18,000 people every year,” Afton January, communications manager at Salt Lake County Aging and Adult Services, told the Deseret News. “The people whose names are listed on the tree are among that clientele, and they are older adults who are homebound, vulnerable, medically frail and don’t have family around. So it’s people who we were concerned that might be sort of lonely during the holidays.”
Those who donate to the Giving Tree remain pretty consistent every year, January said; Salt Lake County employees and different church organizations participate annually, but more from the community tend to join every year.
“You won’t see people asking for a PlayStation or a super fancy Burberry scarf. These are folks who are asking for very basic things,” she said. “So it’s heartwarming to be able to fulfill these needs for people because they are so basic. And it feels so rewarding to know that you helped.”
Names taken from the Giving Tree must be returned by Dec. 16 so the gifts can be wrapped and delivered in time for Christmas.
To find the location of the Giving Tree, visit saltlakecounty.gov/aging-adult-services. Or call 385-468-3200.