“We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give”- Winston S. Churchill

It’s that time of year when we see angels atop Christmas trees all around the world. At UNCOMN we had many angels nestled within our tree located in the lobby at HQ. Team members voluntarily removed them one by one. Unfolding the angels to reveal an opportunity to provide for those who not only have wants this holiday season but also have needs. This year we had the opportunity to “adopt” 3 children from the Christian Activity Center located in East St. Louis, IL. UNCOMN team members were able to provide gifts for two girls, ages 8 and 6 and one boy, age 11.

Overjoyed to have the opportunity to make a profound impact on these children. UNCOMN received a very kind note from the CAC that enlightens us on how our angels spread the spirit of Christmas throughout the community.

Thanks to your team for their UNCOMN generosity to the Christian Activity Center! 

We are grateful that you choose to impact the lives of youth in East St. Louis, not only through your personal monthly contributions and partner match but also by your EXTRA participation in this year’s Secret Santa drive. 

What you may not realize, is that these gifts are not delivered directly from us to the students, but to their families.  Why do we do that? One of our major priorities at the CAC is to maintain the dignity of the parents in our community who work hard to provide for their children, but still, don’t have that extra bit lying around for a bicycle or those high-end basketball shoes.  Some of our parents tell their kids these gifts are from Santa, while others reveal that they come from caring people connected to the CAC.  The point is…we let the parents determine the narrative so that we don’t inadvertently undermine their value in their own or their childrens’ eyes.

So, your gifts will not only bring a sense of wonder and joy on Christmas morning but will do so in a way that is “socially responsible” and regards the humanity of their caretakers.  THANK YOU and a Very Merry Christmas to all of you!

Lori Waggoner, Director of Development