How You Make Christmas Special
Every person has a specific thing that makes the season feel like Christmas to them. For some, it’s a fresh snowfall, for others, it’s stockings hung by the chimney and a cup of hot cocoa. It varies from person to person, but one thing is for certain, without that one thing, it’s just not Christmas.
For Jonathan, it’s spending time with his children. When he became homeless, he didn’t know when he’d next be able to see his kids again. A health scare had caused him to lose his job, and he ended up losing his apartment and turning to Mission Services’ Men’s Shelter. His custody agreement with his ex-wife stated that both parents needed to be housed to share physical custody.
“I remember thinking to myself, ‘I can’t be bringing my kids into this’, but I also didn’t want to spend Christmas without them.”
While at our Men’s Shelter, Jonathan was connected with our Housing Up! team, the first step to getting a permanent roof over his head.
“We are a ‘housing-first’ program,” said Reinaldo, Director of Housing UP! “Once we help someone to get housing, everything gets easier- getting settled, finding a job, or reuniting with family.”
Jonathan was able to find a studio apartment in Hamilton, steady employment, and will get to see the joy on his kids’ faces as they spend Christmas Day together.
“I’m so glad that Housing UP! was there for me,” he said. “Getting to spend Christmas with my kids again is just such an awesome feeling.”
For Shelley, it’s getting to see the smiles of her kids as they open gifts on Christmas morning.
Shelley came to Inasmuch House in November of 2023. Having left her abusive partner suddenly, she arrived at IH with just her children and the clothes on her back. Christmas became an afterthought as safety and survival simply became her first priority.
As the holidays approached, one of her children began asking what she had planned for Christmas.
“I honestly didn’t know what to tell him,” Shelley said. “Celebrating Christmas was so far in the back of my mind that I hadn’t given it much thought, but I also didn’t want to break his heart.”
Through talking with her residential client advocate, Shelley found out about Mission Services’ Sponsor-a-Family program. It looked like Christmas for her children could be saved after all.
Shelley signed up for the Sponsor-a-Family program and her kids filled out the Wish List. Thanks to the amazing generosity of a donor, there were gifts under the Inasmuch House tree for her and her kids on Christmas morning.
“I couldn’t believe it,” Shelley said. “During a dark time for our family, someone came through and made our Christmas a little bit brighter.”
For Frank, the season doesn’t feel like Christmas until he puts up his own tree and plugs it in for the first time.
Frank became homeless after dealing with an abusive roommate. A senior on a fixed income, he struggled to find a place to live and ended up unhoused. At Mission Services’ men’s shelter, he began his journey to being housed once again.
“There are not a lot of places available for an old guy like me,” Frank said. “With how expensive everything is these days, I never thought I’d find something again.”
The Housing UP! team connected Frank to a one-bedroom apartment in Stoney Creek, making him one of the 146 clients they’ve successfully helped to find housing this year, their best year yet.
“The reason for the success of the program is because it’s individualized,” said Reinaldo. “We work with what that specific person’s needs and goals are.”
For Frank, that meant having a space that he could finally call his own. This year, he’ll have something extra special to celebrate when the holidays arrive.
“For many people, putting up a Christmas tree is normal. For me, it’s special, because it means that I’m finally home.”
You can help make Christmas special for our neighbours who are struggling during this season. Call 905-528-4211 ext. 3113, or visit mission-services.com/donate.
