Sharing the Christmas Spirit!!!

For those who don't know, I helped create a NMA/Cargiver Resource group for Battle Company at WTB. We started meeting November 1. We meet every Tuesday and share resources with each other. We talk about the problems they may be facing and how to get the help they may need. Right around Thanksgiving the First Sargent asked me if I thought I could toss a Christmas party together. Of course I said yes and I began thinking.

One of the soldiers who work in the WTB helped us find a location. Then I told a few friends what I was doing and they jumped in. I have made some amazing friends here. I still can't believe what all they did and this was without asking.

My friend who works for The Yellow Ribbon got us Red Hot and Blue BBQ. She also got Yellow Ribbon to buy each of the kids a gift.

My friend from Aleethia Foundation provided our door prizes, decorations and things for the kids to do. Then Saturday she told me that Aleethia had received all these toys from a country club who collected them for various families and she asked if she could give one to each of our kids as well.

Our Company Commander's wife brought her delicious cake pops.

Our First Sargent helped Santa and one of his elves find their way to our party. Thanks to Yellow Ribbon and Aleethia, Santa had two gifts to give each child. 

One of the soldiers who works in our WTB brought his Xbox 360 & Kinect system.

Then I got to tell everyone this story! A friend of a friend of mine runs her own consulting firm. Her firm had a very, very good year. Rather than sending their clients a gift basket of cookies or the typical gifts she contacted me. I suggested giving our families a $25 gift card to go out to eat. She and her partners decided that was just not good enough and went above and beyond. When I told the families what she had done I had a few faces with a few tears on them. My new friend wants her name, her firm and gift to remain anonymous and I will respect her wishes. But let me assure there's a special place in Heaven for her and her colleagues. What they did for these families is nothing short of amazing! They defined the spirit of giving. I felt like Oprah! I passed out her gifts and then at the same time told everyone what they were. The room was full of shock and joy! It was one of the best moments of my life. I have never been able to put that many smiles on that many face before!!

 

And it gets better! Her firm is going to tell their clients that they are not sending gifts to them this year. That instead they paid it forward. I sent her some of these pictures so she can say here are some of the families we were able to bless because of you this year. Then in her email she is going give them the information on non-profits who support the military families like Aleethia and Yellow Ribbon and provide them with links so they too can pay it forward.

The Spirit of Christmas is alive and well!!! I am so thankful to know so many amazing Americans. My little party was a huge success thanks to them! I hope that reading this will give you the incredible feeling of joy that I had last night. Merry Christmas!!!!!!