Christmas in October
Some of you might delete this email after reading this next sentence...
Christmas is in 79 days.
I realize I've jumped the gun, and we still have Thanksgiving and other great Fall activities ahead of us. However, for CSL, we have to complete our Christmas preparations before Thanksgiving to make sure we can serve children and families in our area. We expect to distribute more than 7,500 Christmas presents and 2,000 Christmas meal baskets to local families in 2016, and we can't do it without your help!
A question I've asked myself several times is why does CSL continue our legacy of helping families during the Holiday season? Thanksgiving and Christmas support don't directly contribute to our work in alleviating poverty in our area. The Holiday season, for most families, is full of hustle and bustle and can be very emotional. I know for me personally, I can get tied up in the emotion of all the fun and spend way more money than I should on events or gifts for loved ones.
In 2015, CSL's Noland Road Christmas Store shelves were stocked thanks to generous supporters! CSL will operate six Christmas Stores in 2016.
Many times, we hear that families we serve have taken out payday loans or used high-interest credit cards to finance their Christmas celebrations. Struggling parents still want to provide for their children, and want them to have a magical Christmas. When CSL helps parents during the Holiday season, we are helping them potentially avoid making some disastrous financial decisions. Additionally, CSL's support can help turn stressful times into joyous occasions for kids and parents alike, so they can experience the hope and joy for the future that only Christmas can provide. How can you help? We need collection partners at churches, families, businesses, and civic organizations to organizes drives for toys and Holiday meal items. This is a great chance to support local kids, while having fun with some of your favorite people. I hope you'll sign up today by emailing Sharon Wingate to become one of our 2016 collection partners.
New in 2016! CSL has partnered with Amazon to create a CSL Christmas Store Wish List! You can shop directly for kids served by CSL, and Amazon will deliver it in time for our Christmas Stores! Contact us today to help collect, volunteer, or give!
