Many of us look forward to the end of the year as a time for feasting, gathering with loved ones, exchanging gifts and enjoying warm homes sparkling with holiday lights. Let's make sure this hope and happiness spills over to folks struggling to provide the necessities for themselves and their families, lacking the things we take for granted. Looking to help those often forgotten and in need, here are a few ways to help extend the warmth of the holiday spirit to each and every one of us.
Beginning Over
When Lehigh Valley families are working to survive domestic violence or homicide, the Beginning Over Foundation is there to help them rebuild their lives, and there's a delectable way you can make a difference, too!
Teamed up with Sugar Babe Cupcakes in Bethlehem, Beginning Over uses funds from this now-nonprofit bakery to help pick up the pieces of lives and families torn apart by abusers. All the proceeds of bakery orders go to programs and services like counseling, educational outreach, car repairs and legal fees—whatever it takes to support those dealing with an ultimate betrayal and loss.
Heidi Markow founded Beginning Over after her sister Robin was murdered by her husband in 2005. “Intimate partner violence is the number one cause of homelessness, anxiety, depression and suicide among women and children,” Markow says. She also runs the for-profit Purple Salon and Spa in Easton, where survivors can get free makeovers to boost success in job interviews and court appearances. While legislation needs to improve, we can support on-the-ground efforts in the meantime by placing orders for holiday sweets and goodies with Sugar Babe!
Sugar Babe Cupcakes | 308 W. Broad St., Bethlehem610.714.2252 | sugarbabecupcakes.comPurple Salon & Spa |1808 Freemansburg Ave., Easton610.250.7628 | purplesalonspa.com
Shoeboxes for Seniors
When it comes to making sure that no one is left out of the holiday magic, it's natural to think of youngsters for whom presents might not be a guarantee, and parents who wish they could provide them. It's our elders, though, who can find themselves left behind by distant, dysfunctional or nonexistent family and then forgotten by charities as well.
With the Shoeboxes for Seniors program, the donation of a few small items can make a huge difference in the life of someone passing time in a nursing home or an assisted living facility, letting them know they're remembered, cared for and not alone.
Helene Cohen started this holiday project in 2013, inspired by backpacks filled with school supplies for needy children in Thailand when she was living abroad. The first year, she was able to deliver 125 shoeboxes, then 450, and this year she's hoping to bring 1,000 gift boxes to elders across the Lehigh Valley. Cohen runs Crossroads Elder Advocacy Solutions and Services and acts as Lehigh Valley Business Group's Chair for Seniors.
Church groups, businesses, schools and other organizations can help, along with individuals bringing donations to drop-off locations around the area. Some gifts that can make a senior's life easier include toiletries like toothbrushes and toothpaste, pocket-size tissues, puzzle books, water bottles, non-skid socks and snacks.
“So many might not have family or a support system in place,” says Cohen. “We would love the ability to give them items that they would appreciate, love and be thankful for.”
Angel Tree
Another segment of the population that escapes notice is the children of American prisoners, which number 2.7 million in a nation of rampant incarceration. Though the children are innocent of any crime, they suffer the loss of a parent, financial hardship and stigma. Angel Tree is part of an evangelical Christian organization called Prison Fellowship, which assists prisoners' families year round with mentoring and camping opportunities. During the holidays, Angel Tree seeks to restore a little normalcy by providing donated gifts for incarcerated parents to give to their children.
Prisoners invited to participate can choose the type of gift they'd like to give and write a note to accompany it, so their child knows that even if a parent can't be with them on Christmas, they still care. Churches and businesses can register to host a display of these tags to be selected and fulfilled by members of the congregation, employees or anyone passing through. The gifts are often given during a holiday celebration, drawing affected families together for refreshments, music and fellowship.
An Angel Tree donation helps a child stay connected to his or her parent, as the parent holds on to a sense of caretaking, and families persevere through the struggle of separation.
