Mayor’s Christmas Breakfast
By Albert B. Kelly
My hope is that you had a
wonderful Thanksgiving holiday, time with family and friends- good food and
warm fellowship- maybe a little shopping as well. Now that we’re on this side
of Thanksgiving, it’s time to think about the Christmas holiday.
There will be the standard
holiday stuff, decorations and gifts. But I also try and balance that out with
an awareness and sensitivity for those struggling in life. Sometimes it’s easy
for me to take things for granted because I don’t have to struggle with the
basics.
I don’t worry about where
my next meal is coming from or whether I will have adequate clothing. I don’t
worry about a warm place to sleep or a safe space that I can call home. But
tonight there will be people, too many people, who will be desperately worried
about these basics.
And then there are the
children. For parents trying to scrape together these basic necessities of life,
it’s hard enough to keep going…to keep hope alive. But try doing it while
looking into the eyes of your child, the one who is depending on you, knowing
you might not deliver.
It’s hardest around the
holidays. For parents in this situation, there’s nothing worse. After all, how
you look to your children- what you see reflected back at you when you look
into their eyes- as a parent it’s only the judgement that matters.
If the truth be known,
when it comes to your child, you will spend your last dollar and do just about
any foolish thing if it will put a smile on their face, if it will buy a little
more time, if it will let you see something other than disappointment reflected
back at you when you look into their eyes.
Maybe that’s a little part
of why the holiday’s come with its own stress- expectations that we might not
be able to meet, things we can’t afford and gifts we won’t be able to give…at
least not this year, maybe next year.
But if you are in a better
place- if you are able to give your children everything they need and some or
most of what they want, if some of the fun of the Christmas holiday is thinking
about what gift to get for family and friends, then it’s your help that I need.
On Wednesday, December 16th
between 8:00am and 10:00am, I am holding the Mayor’s Christmas Breakfast at the
Marino Center located at 10 Washington Street. The breakfast is free of charge
and the only thing I ask is that you bring an unwrapped gift appropriate for a
child.
I will be working with our
local Police Athletic League and our area nonprofit organizations in the
greater Bridgeton area to distribute the gift items you provide so that these
children can have a good Christmas.
We hope to collect new
gifts for children of all ages and while secondhand or re-gifted items are
certainly acceptable, my only other request here is that donated items not be
broken or otherwise damaged.
With regard to the
December 16th Mayor’s breakfast, I know it is a work day for most
people so I understand if you can’t stay and the only thing you have time to do
is grab a quick bite before heading out, but we will be grateful for whatever
you may be able to do.
Whether toys, books,
games, art supplies, bats and balls, or clothing; everything is helpful and for
children who do not have much, they will be delighted to receive these gifts
for Christmas. As much as it is about the children, it’s also about parents and
your giving helps in some way to preserve some dignity and that’s no small
thing either.
So I hope to see you on
December 16th at the Marino Center between 8:00am and 10:00am; we’ll
have a good breakfast and if you are able to stay for a little while, we’ll
have some good fellowship as well. If you can’t stay because it’s a work day,
that’s fine also.
Finally, my sincere hope
is that you have a blessed and joyous Christmas holiday…giving and receiving.