Cheryl and her husband Cesar recently went shopping to get Christmas gifts for their seven grandchildren. This shopping trip, however, was a little different than previous years – they went shopping at The Mustard Seed Shelter.
The couple will be spending Christmas at our shelter this year. They have been struggling with some health problems and subsequent financial issues, which led to the loss of their home. “This is the first time that we have been in this situation,” says Cheryl.
It means buying gifts for their beloved grandchildren isn’t possible right now, but they had an opportunity to pick out gifts at our Shop & Wrap program. Thanks to the incredible generosity of Jack Carter Chev’s staff and customers, guests at the shelter are able to choose from more than 700 toys (for toddlers to teens) to give to their children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews at Christmas. We even supply wrapping paper and tape.
Jay McKeen, Managing Partner of Jack Carter Chev, says the 11th annual toy drive filled up two half-ton Chevy Avalanche trucks in the showroom this year.
“It’s a visible reminder that there are people on the other side of the fence that need a little help,” says McKeen. “The Avalanche of Toys is a chance for our staff and customers to get involved…to give back.”
“When I heard (about Shop & Wrap), I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, what a wonderful gesture!’ And I thought we would get some gifts for our little grandchildren,” says Cheryl. If it wasn’t for the donated toys, “we probably would have ended up having to skip it this year,” she adds.
The grandparents took their time choosing just the right gift for each grandchild and once they were ready volunteers were on hand to wrap all the gifts.
Every night we have close to 370 people staying at our shelter throughout the Christmas season. Donors, volunteers and staff do all they can to make it a joyous time of year and that includes giving guests an opportunity to get gifts for people they love.
