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Meral Prewitt

Meral Prewitt Regional Coordinator Southwest

The Yen and Yang of Christmas

By Meral Prewitt
Southern Regional Coordinator and Team Leader 
Adopt A Social Worker Program
January 2008

I am not a deep thinking, philosophizing type person.  However, I think about and cannot begin to understand the deep mysteries of good and bad occurring all around us every second of every day that bring changes to our lives.

I am always amazed and fascinated by the constant flow of help channeled by people in our programs to counteract the many disappointments and losses children experience due to poverty and abuse.  Together, people in our programs perform simple acts of kindness which generate help for hundreds of children having bad experiences.

We refer to our people as liaisons, social workers, coordinators, directors, board members, mentors, donors, clergy, rabbis, volunteers, etc.  These titles are not important.  What is important is that all of us are part of a group of people that make connections to reach out and help children at risk.  The acts of kindness and the generosity shared during the year and especially through the holidays, gives children hope, make their lives better, and eases the strain of poverty and despair they experience every day.   Every day these children wake up in a world that is hard to comprehend.  One moment life seems good and they have a place to live and are going about their daily lives but in an instant their lives change because of a fire, an illness, or a death of a loved one, or a mother who abandons them, or an escape of abuse to a shelter in the middle of the night taking only the clothes on their backs.  These changes impact individual lives forever.

People in our programs have a passion to help children.  It is that simple.   No mystery there.   When the requests for help come in, people respond with goodness and generosity.

The holidays are the most visible times of this caring and outpouring of generosity.  It begins with a unique annual drive in five elementary schools where over 500 pounds of Halloween candy is collected (and this year we received an additional three copier paper boxes full collected by Debi McNamara from Luther’s Garage in Shelton).  Robin Redgate from Middlebrook Elementary School in Trumbull said, “The children come in giggling, happily carrying huge bags of candy that are bigger and heavier than they are.  They tell me it is their favorite project at school.”  The candy is used by social workers to provide goody bags at DCF Foster Holiday parties held in December.

Middlebrook School children donate candy for foster children's holiday parties

During October and November an abundance of hats, mittens, and scarves are collected in school lobbies or individual classrooms.  Impressive coat drives are conducted that provide coats, snow suits, boots, snow pants, sweaters and parkas for every age and size child across the state.  The Easton Senior Center filled my van with hundreds of beautiful, clean coats that went immediately to social workers who rushed to deliver then as the first blasts of winter arrived.

In the meantime, the pages of the calendar turn to Thanksgiving.  Delightful gift baskets overflowing with food and gift cards for turkeys were provided by many kind-hearted and thoughtful people in all my congregations and by a last minute donation from several Fairfield Kiwanis Club members.  We can all take pride in the fact that (to the best of my knowledge) every request for a Thanksgiving meal was met.

Immediately following Thanksgiving, a sensational amount of requests for help and the people who want to help start pouring in from all directions.  When December arrived this year, there were so many special projects and emergency requests I didn’t think they would all be taken care of.  However, once again we were triumphant in matching the requests for help for children with people who wanted to help answer their needs.

St. John’s Catholic Church in Darien wanted to do a holiday project for teens.  Steve Pond, Youth Director, coordinates a youth group of 14-18 year olds who wanted to assist a Stamford DCF worker. 

“It was a memorable occasion for everyone involved as the kids in this group are to be commended for their generosity and large-hearted support they gave many disadvantaged teens with this special project.  Everyone learned something from their efforts and it is definitely a project we would do again,” said Mr. Pond.

St. John Catholic Church Youth Group, Darien, CT

Steve Pond (Center), Youth Director, and St. John's Youth Group provided gifts for teens.

Story Continued  

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