The winter holidays are a time for everyone, especially children, to experience the joy and wonder of the season. This is particularly true for children with distinct educational, emotional, or behavioral needs. With these children in mind, Lisa Cerezo, Internal Communications Manager for Random Acts, teamed up with Cunningham Children’s Home to bring holiday gifts to kids in their care as an act of #RAHolidayKindness.
A Long History of Caring for Children
Cunningham Children’s Home has been supporting children for over one hundred years! What began as a “Deaconess Home and Orphanage” has grown into an expansive offering of programs for children and their families, including educational services, therapeutic treatment, an Emergency Shelter, job training and coaching, and more. One of their busiest and most joyous times of year is during Christmas, which is where Lisa comes in!
“Playing Santa”
Lisa knew right away that she wanted to buy holiday gifts for the kids served by Cunningham Children’s Home for the third year in a row! “I love playing Santa, even if it’s for kids I won’t actually get to see,” Lisa explains. She goes on to say that “As a parent, I know how difficult it can be to take good care of kids. Now that my own kids are almost adults themselves, I can turn a bit more energy to other kids and do what I can to help make them happier.” Using funds generously provided by our wonderful donors, Lisa was able to purchase gifts from the Cunningham Children’s Home wish list, including toys, art supplies, and personal care items. While dropping off the gifts, Lisa marveled at the huge Christmas tree in their lobby while one of the staff members showed off a few ornaments that were made by the kids. The experience of visiting Cunningham Children’s Home was a cheerful one. As Lisa describes, “the whole atmosphere felt really festive and good. It’s clear to me that they care a lot about the work they do and the kids they do it for.”
Kindness for Kids
If you were inspired by Lisa’s act of kindness, you do not have to wait for the winter holidays to be kind to kids! You can support Cunningham Children’s Home or a similar organization in your area. Be like Lisa and establish an ongoing relationship with a local organization for more opportunities to do kind acts! If you have a fun idea but need money to carry it out, reach out to Random Acts to see if your act of kindness qualifies for funding. Our Regional Representatives would love to chat with you about your ideas for spreading kindness!
